


Knight and General: Return of the Jedi

by lightningbisexual



Series: Original Trilogy Twin Swap [3]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Although not as big in this fic, And Anger Issues, Anxiety, Gen, Jedi Leia, Leia with serious daddy issues, Luke with anxiety, M/M, Movie: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, No Incest, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prince Luke, Role Reversal AU, Star Wars Twin Swap, The Rebellion, recovery and growth, twin swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 77,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24830242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningbisexual/pseuds/lightningbisexual
Summary: Leia Skywalker is faced with the greatest challenge of her life. After devastating news, she struggles to become a Jedi Knight and prepares to confront her father once more. Luke Organa is bearing more responsibility than ever as the head of Rebel Intelligence and a member of the Alliance High Command, but rises to the occasion as a General.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker/Han Solo, Skysolo - Relationship
Series: Original Trilogy Twin Swap [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796038
Comments: 61
Kudos: 112





	1. Training and Planning

**Author's Note:**

> The story lives! Hello all, thank you for your patience. Fair warning to everyone, this chapter deals with very little canon material. It mostly focuses on the growth of the twins in their individual roles, but I also included the scene between Leia and Yoda near the end, so just scroll until you find it if that's what you're interested in. 
> 
> As always, happy reading!

Maybe Leia shouldn’t have started a fight on her first day back on Tatooine, but critical thinking had never been her strong point. 

Besides, the stupid bounty hunter had just been asking for it. All she wanted was to get a quick drink at Mos Eisley before heading to Ben’s old hovel. It had been a long time since she dealt with the Tatooine heat, and she figured she would need it. But she had forgotten just how pissy these guys could be. 

The last time that she had been in the cantina, it had been with Ben. He protected her when she swung the first punch in a fight with two of its patrons, a grouchy big looking alien and his slightly more humanoid friend. It only took a snide comment from one of the two men for her to punch him in the throat as hard as she could. The two of them probably would have killed her, but Ben had talked them down without blinking an eye. She assumed that was the end of it, but evidently not. 

“You.” The word was practically snarled from behind her. Leia was in the middle of taking a sip, and rolled her eyes. She idly turned to them, her expression indifferent. “I remember you.” 

“Really?” She replied, complete disinterest in her voice. “I don’t remember you.” 

The taller one growled, and that reminded her of where she had seen him. The ones who had been warned away by Ben, and left grumbling and glaring at her. Certainly not a danger to her now. 

The last time she was on Tatooine, she probably would have been frightened. She hardly gained an intimidation factor with her old farming clothes, the loose white robes that were always dusty and torn. Her new outfit, borrowed without asking from Luke’s extensive wardrobe, was sleek black fabric, easily movable and hopefully a touch more intimidating. Her long brown hair fell loosely down her back, with small braids along the sides of her head to keep it out of her face. The more intelligent people were clearing out of her path because of the dark anger in her eyes. She may have been the Terror of Tatooine as a child, but now she was something more. 

“Your father isn’t here to protect you this time,” the shorter man said darkly. He must have been referring to Ben, but that was so the wrong choice. Leia’s eyes flashed. She  _ wished _ that Ben was her father instead of who she actually ended up with. But no, this man had to bring up what was already a sore point. 

She yanked the blaster from where it was strapped to her thigh. In one swift movement, she shot him in the leg. She grabbed him and slammed him against the bar. The blaster was against his head before he could move, his eyes widening in fear as he stared up at the furious young woman. 

“I protect myself,” she hissed, leaning close to him, small strands of hair falling past her face. “And I’ve seen a lot worse than half-rate pirates.”

She could have continued, but she forgot about his uglier counterpart. He grabbed her shoulders, throwing her backwards. She crashed into another group of patrons, sending them into a frenzy of anger. She grunted, righting herself and charging back at her two original attackers. Chaos erupted. Smugglers and bounty hunters were often quick to anger, so it made sense. Apparently it was an invitation for several of them to start hitting one another. 

The first two were slow, pathetic. She shot the two again, not fatally, but enough to stop them. She ducked beneath an attempted punch, kicking the back of the man’s knees. Once she was past him, she had an open route for the door. She bolted. 

“Hey!” The first man yelled, trying to shove out from the fighting crowd. “Get back here!” 

She grinned darkly, wiggling her fingers as she slipped out the door. Right outside, handily enough, there were two speeder bikes. She raised an eyebrow. Nice. 

Without pausing to think, she leapt on one and took off. She wove through the crowds, a surprising rise of excitement in her chest. She made it out of Mos Eisley and shot out into the desert, laughing. Stars, she had forgotten how fun it was to fly on Tatooine. The planet was a nightmare in many ways, but it was certainly never boring.

“Get back here!” A voice shouted from behind her. She glanced back, cursing. The two idiots had somehow gotten out of the barfight and were following her on the other speeder bike. The bug was screeching and waving a blaster at her. 

“Oh, please,” Leia snorted, turning back forward. She turned the bike, the engine whirring loudly as she headed towards the narrow canyon that had been the menace of her life for nineteen years. “Let’s see if you idiots can handle Beggar’s Canyon.” 

It had been the bane of her existence for years. She must have rebuilt her T-16 dozens of times after crashing it in there. But one key thing was different now: she was a Rebellion pilot, and leader of the Rogue Squadron. Beggar’s Canyon would be easy. 

She shoved the handles forward, leaning into the movement as she shot through the desert. She wove from wide to side, zig-zagging just enough to make sure that they couldn’t hit her, though she doubted they could aim. Her hair shot straight back behind her, waving wildly in the wind. Red blaster shots hit the ground beside her, sending a small explosion of dirt into the air. She swerved, cursing again. That was too close. 

She leaned on the accelerator with one hand, turning back and shooting at their speeder bike. She missed on the first two shots, but it sent them scrambling to evade her, which kept them from firing again. 

Leia used the split second of ease to turn back forward, her eyes fixed on the entrance to Beggar’s Canyon. This would require all her focus. She took a slow breath, her eyes narrowing. She could do this. 

The cliff walls rose around her, shadows racing across her speeder bike. She wove through the narrow space, glancing up at the cliff walls. Sometimes there were weak points, which would come in very helpful today. For the time being, she completely ignored her pursuers. If they managed to survive this, she could fight them then. 

The Force screamed a warning in her mind, and she spun the speeder bike sharply, barrel rolling to the side and narrowly avoiding a blast from the Sand People. They didn’t take too kindly to invaders, and this was technically their territory. It always provided an extra layer of excitement. The pair behind her, without the foresight of the Force, were hit on the side of the speeder bike. They yelled, the metal groaning and clattering. Still, they kept up the chase. 

Fine. She could end this herself. She drew out her blaster, crossing one arm over the handlebars and aiming at the side of the cliff. As she shot through the canyon, her eyes caught a particularly weak looking point. Her aim was excellent, and with one shot, it exploded, crumbling down just behind her. Her pursuers yelled as the cliff collapsed down in front of them, effectively blocking them from following her. She laughed, shooting forward and leaving the two men behind. She doubted they would find her where she was hiding out. 

As Leia was what her Uncle Owen called a “speed demon,” she was back to the hovel quickly. The suns were just beginning to near the horizon, and she had an excellent view of the colorful sky from the cliffs of Ben’s old hovel.

She was panting as she parked the speeder bike nearby, staying seated on it for a long moment. She ran her fingers through her hair, now tangled and sweaty from the ride. Adrenaline still pounded through her veins, making her laugh a little breathlessly. It would take some time to get her breathing back to normal, but that was fine. She hadn’t had that much fun in weeks. 

The suns lowered in the sky, shining gold, orange, and pink in succession. A pang of longing rippled in her chest. The last time that Leia watched a Tatooine sunset, she had been on her family farm, looking at the sky and dreaming of a life beyond all that. She had wanted to be a pilot like her father and fight alongside the Rebellion. It seemed like a million years ago now, even if it had only been four. 

Well, she had fulfilled all the dreams of her 19 year old self. She was a Commander in the Rebellion and leader of the Rogue Squadron, and the destroyer of the Death Star was considered a hero throughout the galaxy, though her name was only known to a few outside the Rebellion. Unfortunately, the few who knew the truth were Boba Fett, the Emperor, and Darth Vader. 

Darth Vader. He had once been an enemy, a source of concern for everyone in the Rebellion. Now his name hit much closer to home.

As the sky faded into the blue of twilight, her expression had noticeably soured. She finally swung her leg over the bike, heading inside. 

Ben’s hovel was exactly as they had left it. It was cluttered with random items that held no particular significance to Leia, but were placed around the small room with care. They must have held cherished memories. Still, despite the clutter and the dust, it was comfortable, welcoming. Ben’s well known madness had its benefits; nobody wanted to go poking through the home of the old wizard. The only difference from when he left was the small R2 unit plugged into the wall, charging quietly after their flight here. She hovered in the doorway for a moment, old memories washing over her. 

She stepped over the threshold, running a hand lightly over the wall to flick the light on. Her heart squeezed. Despite the fact that it had been so long since he was here, she could still feel a touch of his presence, worn into the walls after years of exile. 

“Ben?” She called, hoping that he would appear to talk to her, as he had on Dagobah. “Can we talk?” 

Only silence answered her, as it had every time she tried to call him for the past week. Anger flared up in her chest, but she forced it back down. Luke had been talking to her about controlling her anger, especially since they found out about her father. 

Of course, the one person who could actually answer her questions was avoiding all her attempts to talk to him. She wondered if it was possible to strangle a ghost. 

But she needed him for more than dealing with Vader. Right now, she needed to finish her Jedi training. She didn’t have time to travel all the way to Dagobah; Han was on Tatooine, and saving him was one of her first priorities. She had hoped that going back to Ben’s old hut would help, but it seemed like the old hermit still didn’t feel like answering her questions. 

Fine. She could handle herself. Surely there was something here that she could use to teach herself the way of the Jedi. She began searching through Ben’s things, sorting through the miscellaneous items that he kept. She talked out loud as she did, trying to ward off the whispering fear in the back of her mind. 

“By the Force, Ben, I didn’t know you were such a hoarder.” She considered throwing the stuff carelessly to the side, but she still set them down carefully. If they were important to Ben, she wouldn’t risk damaging them, even if she was pissed with him at the moment. “What do you even need half this stuff for?”

She continued on through the items, wishing she understood why he had kept them. There seemed to be things from all over. She recognized the works of Naboo, the perfectly manufactured items of Coruscant, and even Mandalorian beskar. It was strange to think that someone who she had only known to be a hermit had traveled to more places than she ever thought. She eventually found a nondescript box sitting near the door, one that sang with the Force. 

“Huh,” she said quietly, placing a light hand on it. “This looks promising.” 

She carefully opened it, her breath catching in her throat. Sitting right on top was a journal, with an elegant silver script on the front that read  _ For Leia _ . Her breath caught in her throat. She carefully opened it, sparing a brief glance for the rest of the items in the trunk: a pair of carefully folded robes much like what Ben used to wear, a slim case adorned with the mark of the Jedi, several pieces of metal. 

Leia tried to open it, but it was locked shut. The black leather cover was beautifully ornate, with a small silver circle on the end. She ran her thumb across it curiously, jumping as it clicked open. Her eyes widened slightly. Ben had this journal locked, responding only to her fingerprint. Stars, that guy was paranoid. Although with the realization of her father, it now made more sense. 

Carefully, she opened it, opting to turn to a random page in the middle. Her eyes skimmed over the words, admiring the careful script of Ben’s writing. The more that she read through it, she slowly began to realize who this story was about. She remembered it. 

_ She just can’t stop getting herself into trouble.  _

_ She went to the Hutt to demand the water back from the farmers. She stood right up to a dozen of his men. I don’t know how she managed to get her hands on Owen’s blaster, but she’s a fantastic shot. Before I could begin to help, she hit four of them. Only eight years old. She’s Anakin born again, stars help me.  _

_ I destroyed their lights before intervening. I think she sensed it, clever girl. I wish she could have seen the Temple in its glory, she would thrive as a Padawan. I incapacitated the rest of Hutt’s men, but Leia fell, hitting her head. It was a superficial wound, but perhaps for the best that she was unconscious. If any more of my identity is revealed to her, she will never stop trying to find out about her family.  _

_ I took her home, gave her to Beru. She was worried out of her mind, but at least it meant that she didn’t stay to yell at me. Owen did, although I’m unaware about how it’s my fault that his niece ran off in the middle of the night to attack Hutt’s men. He has never liked me, but that incident ended any possibility of an understanding between us. _

Leia was engrossed in the words, but her communicator chirped insistently, startling her out of her supor. Annoyed, she carefully set the journal aside, checking to see who was communicating with her. Her stomach dropped as she read the name. Shit. She was in trouble. But she would be in even more trouble if she didn’t answer. Reluctantly, she clicked on it, and a familiar hologram popped up. A prince, in elegant robes with a half cape draped over one shoulder, who looked beyond pissed. 

“Leia Skywalker, do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?” Luke never sounded like such a parent as he did when he was angry, as uncharacteristic as it was. With his hands on his hips, glaring at her, he looked just like Aunt Beru. “Where are you?”

“Hi Luke,” she replied, smiling broadly, the same way that she did to her aunt and uncle whenever she snuck away. She was prepared to continue defending herself, but he didn’t give her the chance. 

“Don’t you ‘hi’ me,” he said, waving a finger at her. “We had a deal! You were going to stay in the hospital wing for at least a month to recover.” 

“Come on, I’m fine!” She protested. She hated staying in the hospital wing. It made her feel useless and idle, and offered way too much time for her brain to race in all directions. With all the information that had been dropped on her lately, the last thing she wanted was time to sit and think. 

“You lost a limb two weeks ago!” He crossed his arms, clearly exasperated with her. Ever since her injury, he had been a full-out mother hen. While it was once endearing, it was verging further and further into annoyance. 

“And I feel much better.” She smiled broadly. Her look sobered a bit. “Look, I’m back on Tatooine. I think Ben left me some instructions, so I can keep training.” 

Now that she had found the journal, she was even more enraptured by the story of Ben’s life here. She vividly remembered the incident that he had described in the journal. But after getting knocked out, Uncle Owen had said that he was the one who had gone after her. She had been suspicious, since he hadn’t explained how he scared off the rest of the gangsters, but she kept her mouth shut since he decided to ground her for the next two months, with an extra week for every time she brought it up. 

Luke sighed, looking like he wanted to argue with her. But they knew one another well, and she had been getting visibly antsy all week. Training would be a good way for her to use the anger and restlessness in a productive manner. 

“Fine,” he said eventually. “But you have a blaster, right? Do you need anything? I can send–”

“Luke!” 

“Okay, fine,” he said, raising his hands. He looked at her fondly for a moment, a touch of sadness in his eyes. “But I wish you told me before you left.”

Guilt curled in her chest. Even if her stress had been bad lately, she knew life hadn’t been all too easy for him either. Han had gone missing, Lando and Chewie had gone to Tatooine a week earlier to find news about him, and since Leia took Artoo with her when she slipped off to Tatooine. Currently, the only friend he had was Threepio. She shuddered at the thought. 

“I’m sorry, I know you’re stressed,” she told him. “I just worried you would try to stop me.”

“Oh, I definitely would have.” 

“Exactly.” She crossed her arms. 

He shook his head. There was no winning with Leia sometimes. “Just be safe.”

“I will,” she said, not entirely sure if she was lying or not. A half smile tugged at her lips, and she tapped her temple lightly. “And if I’m not, I know how to reach you.” 

He laughed. The first few days of their Force bond had mostly been a game of her using it to annoy him, trying to scare him by leaping into his mind and calling out. He had retaliated by singing the most annoying song lyrics into her head at all hours. For the time being, they reached a truce. 

Luke looked like he wanted to continue talking, but a voice out of Leia’s sight suddenly called to him. 

“Your highness, we need you,” a distant voice said, barely audible on their comms. Tiredness passed over his face. He had been promoted to General ages ago, but while they were all split up, the meetings didn’t happen as often. Now, the Alliance High Command met every night, discussing something important, something that he wasn’t allowed to tell her yet. It had kept him constantly busy; The bags under his eyes got worse every day. 

“May the Force be with you, Leia,” he said, nodding quickly to her and hanging up. She imagined that he would have much rather stayed with her, but being a part of the High Command was a full time job, especially when he ran the strategy most of the time. She didn’t envy him. Training to be a Jedi was difficult, but the High Command could be a nightmare to deal with. She gave the communicator a pitying look, then turned back to the book, running her fingers along the pages. 

  
  


Luke rubbed his eyes as he walked through the halls of  _ Home One _ . For the few minutes of break that he had between meeting with the Rebel Intelligence and the High Command, he had tried to go visit the only close friend that he had left, but apparently she had bolted on him. So his break was spent just yelling at her. It was fine, he was fine. 

He straightened as he neared the war room. Even if he felt awful, he couldn’t let it show. As the youngest member of the Council, he didn’t garner much respect on his own. Following what his father had taught him, he always arrived neatly dressed and carefully calm. Even if he got more wound up every day, he couldn’t let it show. It took every bit of political training in him. 

Mon and Ackbar had already arrived, and were waiting around the holotable. He nodded to them, taking his place across from where they stood. 

“Chancellor, Admiral,” he said politely. It was best to refer to people by their official title during these meetings, as a show of respect. He understood the reasoning, but it felt so odd to refer to the woman who had basically been his aunt all his life as “Chancellor,” even if it was her proper title. 

“Your highness,” she replied, giving him a small smile. His heart warmed a bit. They were both too busy to discuss anything that didn’t have to do with the Rebellion, but it was nice to at least get a glimpse of a familiar face during these meetings.

Generals Dodanna and Madine followed shortly afterwards. Only five members remained on the Council, gathered around the table like the points of a star. Commander Willard had been killed by Vader, General Rieekan had been lost in the Battle of Hoth, and their co-founder, Bail Organa, had died with Alderaan. Madine had been promoted to replace Rieekan, who vouched for him when he first joined. It was somewhat depressing. 

“Do we have any news about the Empire’s new project?” Mon asked, looking to Luke for an answer. He took a breath. 

“The details of the project are being transported on a freighter, disguised as a fertilizer transport,” he said. He pulled the data chip from his pocket, inserting it into the table. A map of the transport’s path appeared in the holo before them, from Coruscant to Bothawui. An image of the ship they would be using appeared as well. “It’s supposed to be lightly guarded, to keep up the measure of secrecy.” 

“It’ll be crawling with soldiers,” General Madine interrupted, making Luke shrink back from the table slightly. Madine had a particularly annoying habit of interrupting him, which brought up the familiar sensation of imposter syndrome. He said nothing, hoping to keep a measure of politeness. Madine was a defector from the Empire, he would know their methods. “TIE fighters as well, most likely.” 

“We can send X-Wings to get the information,” Ackbar said, pressing a button to enlarge the image of the freighter. “One squadron should be enough.” 

Nobody argued with that. Ackbar had proven his military expertise time and time again. 

“Are your sources trustworthy, Prince Luke?” Madine asked, turning his gaze to Luke. 

There was distrust in his eyes, an expression that Luke was quite familiar with after his time in the Senate. It hit him like a punch to the gut. Madine didn’t think that he had earned his place on the High Council. He assumed that Luke got the position simply because of his father. While it wasn’t wrong, he had been in the Rebellion for years. Yes, he was young, but his experiences far outnumbered Madine’s. The mere fact that Madine was questioning his intelligence was a blatant sign of distrust, and Luke wasn’t the only one to notice. Mon’s lips pursed slightly, though she said nothing. 

“Koth Melan was willing to give us this information for free,” he said, his voice carefully calm. Most Bothans charged heavily for their intelligence, but Koth had more personal motivations. “His father was executed by the Empire, he’s being very generous.” 

“It smells like a trap,” Madine shot back. 

“Enough,” Mon said, her voice quiet but firm. Everyone went silent. “We need to trust one another.” 

The tension in Luke’s chest eased slightly. At least Mon trusted him, even if some of the others didn’t. The meeting continued late into the evening, exhaustion tugging at his bones. He forced himself to stay alert, though he had little to say about the actual plans for the attack. Ackbar knew most about military tactics, so he trusted him on that front. His only real concern arose when Leia’s name was mentioned. 

“Commander Skywalker would be best to lead the Rogue Squadron into this airfight,” General Dodonna suggested. Luke’s eyes widened. 

“She’s unavailable,” he said quickly. Training would help Leia deal with her difficulties over the Vader situation, and having a Jedi on their side would be essential to defeating Vader. 

“I heard she gave you the slip,” Madine commented. Luke glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, keeping his face carefully blank. Inside he was reeling. How had he managed to find out so quickly? 

“Commander Skywalker had my permission to leave,” he lied easily, giving Madine a cold smile. “She is finishing her training to become a Jedi. As I’m sure you’re aware, General Madine, we need Jedi assistance in order to defeat Darth Vader and the Emperor.” 

A frosty atmosphere settled tensely between the two men, a glare settled across Madine’s features and a cool hint of a smile on Luke’s. Dodonna cleared his throat uncomfortably. Luke tilted his head to the side slightly, turning his gaze back to Ackbar. 

“I recommend Wedge Antilles to lead the Rogue Squadron,” he suggested instead, nodding to the Admiral. “He has served as Leia’s second in command many times, and is an excellent pilot and leader.” 

“Excellent choice,” Admiral Ackbar agreed, clearly hoping to move on from the beat of tension. He went on to discuss the plan of action further, working out the details with occasional input from the others. Everyone at the table was an expert in strategy, so the plan was nearly flawless by the time Mon ended the meeting. 

“General Organa,” she said as everyone dispersed, falling in step beside him. He wasn’t immediately concerned. After all, their quarters were close, so it made sense to walk together. “I hope in the future that you’ll tell me when you give my soldiers permission to leave.” 

A guilty expression came across Luke’s face. Mon could always tell when he was lying, but he was grateful that she hadn’t pointed it out in the meeting. It would have really destroyed his image if even Mon wasn’t on his side. 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Thank you for keeping it quiet.” 

“I trust you, Luke,” she replied coolly. She rested a light hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at her. Her aloof expression didn’t change, but her eyes were gentle. “Try to keep Leia from running off without you, next time.”

Luke sighed. “I wish I could stop her.” 

She chuckled quietly. “I understand.” 

“She is finishing her training to become a Jedi,” he added. “That was true.” 

She nodded. Mon was one of the ones to remember the days of the Jedi. She had even met Obi-Wan Kenobi back when he still worked with Bail Organa. She knew how essential it would be to defeat Vader and his influence. 

“She may take as long as she needs,” she agreed. She paused at his door, looking at him solemnly. “However, I need you here as long as possible. This new construction project… it is cause for concern.” 

He nodded. “I know. I can work with the Intelligence and keep you updated.” He could already feel the familiar ache of his hands from writing out so many reports. 

She nodded, and he took the movement as a dismissal, stepping back into his too-empty room. Once the door shut, he fell facefirst onto the bed, groaning. Based on how slow the information was trickling in, both on the Rebellion front and the finding Han mission, it would be months of finding information before they managed to succeed. Great. Just great. 

His datapad beeped in the corner, making him groan again. He just wanted to sleep. But he was personally supervising at least three different missions, both in the Rebellion and his more personal matters. Although he had always worked towards the good of the Rebellion, a full time job in and of itself, this new layer left him busier than ever. He forced himself to sit up, reaching for the datapad. 

It was going to be a long few months. 

  
  


Leia considered reading further in the journal, but after rereading the original passage, she couldn’t. The idea that she was so similar to her father made her feel a little nauseous. For a few moments, she just stared at the passage, running her fingers over the incriminating line. 

_ She’s Anakin born again. _ Ben thought she was her father all over again. What did that mean? He had never been anything but kind and gentle to her, but if she was like that man, she probably had an equal chance of falling into his path. She and Luke had briefly discussed it. They decided that Ben had only said that Anakin Skywalker was dead to hide the fact that he had really turned to the dark side. Becoming a Jedi, then falling to the dark side. She was halfway there herself. The idea sent a pang of fear through her chest. She abruptly dropped the journal as if it had bit her, and it fell shut. 

She stood sharply, glaring at the hut. Artoo, fully charged by now, beeped frantically at the sudden movement. 

“What the  _ fuck _ Ben?” She yelled at the ceiling. “You see that I’m shaping up to be exactly like my father and you decide to keep it to yourself? Are you kidding me?” 

Nothing answered her. Just the same, aggravating silence that had lasted for the two weeks since she had found out the truth. Ben could appear anywhere he liked, anytime that he liked. And yet, he said absolutely nothing. No answers, no help,  _ nothing _ . 

“You’ve had over twenty years to tell me the truth! You’ve clearly been watching me all this time, you’ve had so many opportunities!”

The last time that she had been here, it would have been the perfect opportunity. He had already told her that he knew her father. Surely someone with so much experience dealing with war and diplomats could find a polite way to say ‘your father is one of the most evil men in the galaxy and we need to make sure you don’t end up like him.’ 

Silence filled the room. She could feel Ben, or at least a hint of his presence. It was like he was standing off to the side, nearby but unwilling to answer her. Anger flooded Leia’s chest, and her hands clenched into fists. Her breath quickened, her eyes burning with all the fury and shame of the last few weeks. Her father was a monster, and his evil was inside her too. Her whole life had been turned upside down, and the one person who could give her a real answer was ignoring her. A dark power surged inside her like a hurricane, the anger and self loathing rising up in her chest. 

“ _ Why won’t you answer me?” _

Leia screamed the words, and all the emotions that she kept pent up inside her chest exploding outwards. They carried the dark power around her, creating a shockwave through the Force. The roof of the hut shattered, the heavy stone flying outwards like it had been struck by a laser cannon. Artoo screamed at the explosion, his lights flashing wildly. 

For a moment, the dark anger inside her held Leia upright, a familiar sensation of cold power pulsing through her. 

Then she looked up, panic curling in her stomach. The glittering stars of the night sky flickered above her. She had completely blown off the roof of Ban’s hut. Judging by the cold power in her veins, she had used the dark side of the Force. 

“Fuck,” she whispered. She shook her hands, as if trying to shake out the cold feeling in her veins. It faded, but slowly, dripping from her fingertips. She hunched over, trembling engulfing her body. “What have I done?” 

  
  


Luke had  _ just  _ gotten to sleep. 

After twelve reports and a half hour discussion with Chewie and Lando, he had finally found the time to rest. It was the dead middle of the night, which meant that he would only be able to sleep for a few hours before getting up early to check in with his Intelligence operatives, but it was something. 

Then an explosion rocketed through his brain, making him jolt straight up in bed with a cry. He looked around frantically, wondering who was attacking  _ Home One _ . But the ship was at peace. There were no alarms, nothing that would have implied an attack. Then he felt the panic. Not his own, but far away, connected to his mind from a long distance. 

Leia. 

He closed his eyes, focusing hard on their connection. They had never tried to communicate from such a distance, but something was very, very wrong. He had to check in, at the very least. 

“Leia,” he whispered, sending the word through the Force. 

On Tatooine, Leia straightened. Her name had been whispered into her mind by a familiar voice. She closed her eyes, reaching out for him. 

He felt the connection immediately and felt for her state of mind, trying to search for any sign of immediate danger. While she seemed frightened and concerned, there was no hint of outside danger. No attacks, no need to begin fighting, nothing. 

_ Leia, are you okay? _ He asked silently. 

Leia pressed her hand to her eyes, feeling tears leak past.  _ No. I fucked up. _

Understanding washed over him. Her training had gone wrong somehow, and she must have done something that confirmed her worst fear: ending up like Vader. He knew that possibility had terrified her for weeks. He had been beside her for the nightmares, had woken her up when she started crying out in the hospital wing. Now she was alone on Tatooine. 

_ It’s okay, _ he said reassuringly in her mind.  _ You just got there, you’ll get better at training. _

_ I keep using the dark side, _ she replied instantly, terror in her inner voice. She was shaking, barely aware of Artoo beeping with concern at her side.  _ I don’t mean to, but I can’t stop. _

_ Okay, just breathe, just breathe. _ The panic in her mind was becoming overpowering, but luckily, Luke was an expert at dealing with panic.  _ Get some sleep, okay? You’ve made a mistake, it happens to all of us _ . Stars knew that Luke had made dozens of mistakes throughout his life. He had survived, so would she. He sent waves of calm her way, trying to inject understanding and love into her mind.  _ Try again in the morning. _

Leia slowly breathed, the trembling in her body starting to ease. The calmness that Luke was sending through the Force began to help her relax, and she slumped to the ground, leaning against the cool metal of Aroo’s shell. Tears ran down her face, but the cold and anger had drained out of her. She was just scared. Without knowing how her father fell to the dark side, she didn’t know how to keep herself from following the same path. 

_ I’m scared, Luke. _

Luke sighed, aching in his chest. He wished that he could do more to help her, but he didn’t know the way of the Jedi. This was a path that she would have to accomplish on her own. Maybe she didn’t know how she would do it, but he knew that she could. 

_ I know, _ he replied gently.  _ But you can do this. It might take awhile, but you’ll get there. You won’t become Vader.  _

_ How do you even know that? _ She asked, a note of desperation in her voice. 

He paused for a moment, then sent a note of reassurance her way.  _ I have faith in you _ . 

Leia paused, her heart warming slightly. From the first moment that she discovered who her father was, Luke had been by her side. Even if the shock had thrown him at first, he stood by her side. He had lied to Mon Mothma and the entire Rebellion for her, and never doubted that she would be able to handle this. 

_ I know you, Leia, _ he added, clearly concerned by the silence from her.  _ I know you won’t fall to the dark side. _

She could feel stubbornness coming from him. She smiled a bit. If she tried to keep arguing, Luke would go on all night. She probed slightly at his state of mind, feeling the exhaustion that he was pushing off. It would be best for both of them to get some sleep. 

_ Thanks, Luke, _ she replied quietly. She sent some affection his way.  _ We should get some sleep _ . 

_ I  _ said  _ that! _ He said indignantly. 

She laughed, gently pushing the connection away.  _ Good night, Luke _ . 

He grumbled, but retreated. She was willing to bet all her credits that he just fell asleep wherever he stood. Her best friend had been working hard lately. 

Artoo beeped at her. [What are we going to do about the roof?] 

Oh right, that. She glanced up, grimacing at the damage. The walls were still intact, but it would become a much bigger problem once the sun came out. Of course, she could always take the important box and a few other important things and go back to the Lars homestead, but she immediately disliked that idea. She hadn’t seen her old home in years. She didn’t want to know if the bodies were still there, or if it had been ransacked for parts… Leia shook her head. No, she wasn’t going back. 

“Maybe I’ll practice using the Force and try to put it back together tomorrow,” she said regretfully, looking up at the broken roof. Luckily, there was a lower level to the hut that contained a smaller sleeping area, so she would have somewhere to hang out, but she should probably at least attempt to fix the place up. Uncle Owen had taught her a few things about fixing Tatooine style homes, but she sincerely doubted that he could fix this damage. 

[I’ll help, but it won’t be easy,] Artoo said doubtfully. 

“Yeah,” Leia grunted, standing up and heading towards the stairs to the lower floor. She needed to sleep. “None of this is going to be easy. Keep watch, will you?”

  
  


Unfortunately, the roof did not magically heal overnight. When Leia woke up, she made herself a cup of caf in the newly remodeled house, squinting in the blazing sunlight. It would be necessary to move all the important stuff downstairs into a hidden compartment soon, since Tatooine was full of thieves, but it should be fine for now. She hesitated on her way out the door, glancing down at where she had dropped the journal. Sighing, she picked it up. Might as well read it a little more while she was drinking her caf. 

She went outside, sitting down in the shade cast by the outside wall. Sipping the warm caf, she cracked it open, finally reading it from the beginning. The first page had a short message, directly to her. 

_ Leia,  _

_ A part of me wishes that you will never have to read this. I failed Anakin, so perhaps I will be able to protect you instead. In this journal, you will find instructions on how to train as a Jedi, same as myself and your father. Everything you need is in the box. If something happens to me during the years you grow up, you will still have a way to become a great Jedi, as I know you are meant to be.  _

_ Trust in the Force, dear one. It will guide you to the right path. Although many challenges await you, I know that you will receive them with all the strength and fire that lived inside your father, and the heart and will of your mother.  _

_ May the Force be with you, Leia.  _

_ Ben  _

Well, it was a sweet message, even if it gave her no valuable information whatsoever. She smiled, running her fingers over the script of his name. She wondered when he wrote this, and why he chose to sign as Ben, instead of Obi-Wan Kenobi. When did he choose to become this hermit of a man? She smiled. He always called her “dear one” whenever she ran into him as a child. It hadn’t been often, but it made her smile, when hearing that from another man would have begun a fight. 

Her heart softened, the anger that still stuck at her easing slightly. Whatever Ben kept cryptic and secret, he did care deeply for her. Perhaps he would be willing to give a little more information later on. 

For several hours, she read, completely engrossed in the words. It was a mixture of instructions on becoming a Jedi and scattered stories, many of which revolved around Leia growing up. Clearly he was trying to simply write instructions on the Jedi way, but little notes and tangents were included, from both his memories of her father and moments of her life on Tatooine. Apparently, he had kept a careful eye on her throughout her whole life here. He talked at length about Leia’s similarities to her father. Apparently her piloting skills, her skill with mechanics, even her occasional bouts of anger were reminiscent of him. 

Once Leia finished the journal, she hugged it close to her chest, taking a deep breath and staring out at the Tatooine desert. She had no idea that he had cared so much about her growing up. Since he knew her father so well, it made sense that he would occasionally check in on her, but this was more than that. All her life, she had a silent guardian, watching from beyond the hills and making sure she was safe, while rarely ever speaking to her. 

The anger that she had harbored against him faded away quickly. Yes, Ben hadn’t told her a lot. He hadn’t told her about her father, hadn’t told her about what ran in her blood, or her ability to use the Force. Admittedly, that last one was just logical, she would have ripped Tatooine in half if she discovered a connection to the Force at a young age. But she had spent half the last week completely furious with him for not telling her the truth. But this journal, it was its own quiet form of devotion, a determination to protect her for almost two decades without fail, without recognition, being ostracized the whole time. All for the daughter of a monster. 

Despite Ben’s extensive knowledge of her father, all her similarities to him, he still wrote this journal for her in the complete faith that she would succeed. He said that she was meant to be a Jedi, that she could trust the Force to guide her down the right path. He even began training her on his own. If both Ben and Luke trusted that she was destined to become a Jedi, in spite of her awful heritage, maybe she could believe that it was true. 

Leia stood, walking back into the four walls that currently passed for a hovel. She knelt in front of the box, opening it again. Ben had included instructions on how to design her own lightsaber, and she was particularly curious about that. Admittedly, he had been clear about reminding her that it was one of the last steps in her Jedi path, but patience was not her strong suit.

She found the scrap metal that he supplied for the lightsaber, the tool kit for putting it together, and the clear kyber crystal that would become the power source. While pulling them out, her hand landed on something heavier. She frowned, holding it up to the light. Recognition flared in her mind. It was a lightsaber, one like she had never seen before. While her father’s lightsaber was smooth steel, this one was mostly black, ridged to provide a strong grip. Curiosity rising in her, she pressed the red button. 

The hiss and hum of an igniting lightsaber was quite familiar, but the green glow surprised her, her mouth dropping open in awe. All the lightsabers she had seen were blue or red. She had assumed those were the only two colors. Ben had briefly mentioned that different colors had their own meanings, but she just assumed one was dark side and one was light. But this was entirely new territory. It was beautiful. 

“Who did this belong to?” She wondered aloud, her voice soft. Of course, Ben didn’t appear to answer. Even the journal wouldn’t tell her that this lightsaber belonged to the very man who helped her father become a Jedi Knight. But it felt important, familiar in a distant way. 

She deactivated the blade, but turned it over in her hands several times, considering it. If she just took this lightsaber, it would be an easy out. She could storm into Jabba’s palace and walk out with Han like it was nothing. The possibility was certainly tempting. Instinct warned her against it. The way of the Jedi was peace first, after all.  _ A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.  _

She couldn’t take Han back through brute force. They would need something else. They had discussed a plan, but it was hardly solid. After all, Lando and Chewie had just started their reconnaissance of the place. She needed to train first, become a Jedi Knight. It was the only way that she would be able to save Han, and defeat Vader. Even knowing that, it was immensely difficult to put the lightsaber down.

The moment that the lightsaber dropped into the chest, a light warmth washed over her. She could almost feel a sense of warm approval. She let out a breath, smiling. It was a step in the right direction. Her father was a problem, but she would fight that side of her, the dark side in her blood, and become a Jedi. 

“Artoo,” she called, turning to the droid with a smile. “Let’s start fixing the roof.” 

  
  


Two months later, the roof was still not fixed. Leia gave up on it after a month of attempts. She was good at mechanics, not house design. Moving the rocks around with the Force had been good practice, however. She was making progress, slowly but steadily. She would have loved to tell Luke about it, but he was clearly in need of a rant. 

“Madine is going to read me the riot act after this,” Luke groaned, pacing back and forth in his quarters. Leia sat in front of the holo, leaning against one of the crumbling dirt walls to listen. While he spoke, she played with a few rocks, lifting them up and spinning them through the air with the Force. Apparently a raid that he had helped plan went horribly wrong, and they had barely managed to get the information that they needed. The debrief for the actual information would be soon, so they had a little time to talk. “He’s already doubting the information from my spies. The entire meeting is going to be him questioning my authority until Mon realizes that I’m too young to be on the council!” 

“No, she’s not,” Leia said quickly, shaking her head. His anxiety was getting the better of him, she could feel it through their Force bond. “Mon trusts you. You just need to fight this Madine guy.” 

Luke fell down onto his bed, rolling his eyes. “This isn’t Tatooine, Leia. We’re a council, we need to solve this diplomatically.” 

Leia rolled her eyes, mouthing ‘diplomatically’ mockingly. Alderaan may have been a peaceful planet, but the Tatooine upbringing certainly made her more prepared for a fight than him. 

“Fine. Do you want me to come back and fight him for you?”

“No,” Luke said admonishingly, but there was a look in his eye like he was considering it. Leia grinned. 

“Okay, but anytime you change your mind, I’ll put the Jedi training on hold.” 

Luke chuckled softly. Her heart ached at the tiredness in his face. Even on the holo, it was evident that he hadn’t been sleeping well. The mission to steal the computers had taken place the week before, and it had been a state of constant stress for him. She wanted to suggest that he find time to rest, but it was a whole new mission now. 

“It doesn’t help that I’m the youngest on the Council,” he admitted, anxiously neatening his hair. “Half of them don’t think I have the experience for this.” 

“Oh, bullshit,” Leia snapped. “These old times haven’t been through half the crap you’ve been through for the Rebellion. Get your head on straight.” 

“I refuse to do anything straight, Leia,” he said immediately, shooting a warm grin at the holo. She laughed, shaking her head. It was nice to see him smile like that again. His smiles had been significantly diminished ever since Han was captured.

“You know what I mean,” she continued, waving a hand. The rocks that she was lifting using the Force wiggled with the movement. “You need to stick it to this Madine guy somehow. Being diplomatic, whatever, but you need to show him that you’re in charge.”

Granted, a good fight and intimidation tactics were her only real knowledge of how to do so, and Luke didn’t really like that leadership style. On Tatooine, her core group of friends had done quite a few stupid things under her leadership, but she could gather people older and younger to rally around her. The skill was useless now that she was working more solo, as a Jedi, but it was still inside her. 

Luke shook his head, a rueful exasperation on his face. “How is it that I grew up as royalty and you’re  _ still _ bossier than me?” 

“It’s in my blood,” she replied with a grin. “Vader did tell me that my mom was a queen.” 

_ Your mother was a queen, but I will make you an Empress.  _ It was one of the few pieces of information that Vader gave her that wasn’t entirely unwelcome. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to know more, but she had pushed that away. She could only deal with one level of parental bullshit at a time. After Vader was dealt with, she could find more information about her mother. Surely there weren’t that many people who could have had a relationship with Anakin Skywalker, as a Jedi or as Vader. 

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Luke said, shaking his head. “I’ll try to do what you said, but it’s not going to be easy, given how bad this mission went.” 

Well, Leia could hardly argue there. Of course, it would be easier to come up with an answer if she actually knew what the goal of the mission was. 

“Can you at least tell me what the goal of this little mission was, yet?” She tried to ask. He had been maddeningly tight lipped about this whole thing. Evidently growing up as a spy had paid off. 

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

Leia groaned, flicking her hand and sending rocks splattering in a dozen different directions. It was killing her, not knowing what was going on. Focusing on Jedi training had been excellent for helping her learn, as well as channeling her emotions into the Force, but she hated being away from the action. 

The holo beeped from Luke’s end, and he sighed. “Koth Melan is calling. I hope his slicer contact worked out.” 

“May the Force be with you, Luke,” she told him quietly, trying to send him a wave of support through their Force bond. He nodded solemnly, then hung up.

  
  


Thankfully, Koth Melan actually gave them some useful news. It wasn’t good news, but it was useful. 

“That was all we were able to get from the decrypted computer,” he told Luke, regret in his voice. His pointed ears were back against his head, his eyes heavy with grief. The holo was being sent directly from his ship en route to  _ Home One _ , as the safehouse and the computer had been destroyed, and the rest of the Bothans killed in the process. “Use this information well, your highness.”

“Thank you, Koth,” Luke said faintly, his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears as anxiety rose in his chest. This was awful news. “I’m sorry for your loss.” 

“Don’t let it be in vain,” he said shortly, hanging up. It was a bit rude, but Luke understood. He needed time to grieve; he had lost a lot in the past few hours, which Luke sympathized with. After some time, perhaps he would be ready to help them again. It would be about an hour before he arrived with the schematics that he managed to download.

In the meantime, he had to meet with the High Command. He pressed a button on the comm, sending a brief message to the rest of the members. “This is General Organa. I need to speak with you immediately.” 

With that, he left for the war room, his cape flying behind him as he hurried down the hall, his feet moving as fast as he could take him. He smiled at people as he passed, nodding to them, but internally, he was thirty seconds from an anxiety attack. 

Koth had given him three crucial pieces of information. The Empire was building a new Death Star. It wasn’t finished yet. And Emperor Palpatine would be personally overseeing it. 

Another Death Star, possibly even greater than the first. The kind of destruction that it could unleash was unspeakable. This meant that another Aldaraan was imminent. They were lucky that it wouldn’t be ready anytime soon, but they had to find out when and where it would be finished, so that they could stop it beforehand. Luke clasped his hands together in front of him to keep them from shaking. This brought up most of his worst memories all at once. 

He beat everyone to the war room, staring down at the holotable and struggling to breathe normally. If anyone saw him freaking out over this, they would take him even less seriously than they already did. He reached out for the calm warmth of the Force, wrapping it around him and trying to release his anger into it. It calmed him slightly, but panic ran beneath his bones like electricity. 

The others followed in shortly, concern on all their faces. Usually Luke waited until their scheduled meetings to discuss important information, but this couldn’t wait. 

“Koth Melan called in,” he said as soon as the doors shut behind the last member. There was no need to mince words, not in a situation like this. “The new project is a second Death Star.” 

Everyone gasped, all asking questions at once. Luke raised a hand to stop them, silencing everyone except Madine, who finally quieted when everyone looked at him. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless. Leia would be proud. 

“The computer was destroyed in the attack,” he explained. “Koth was only able to get a schematic, he’s on his way now.” 

“Why would we need the schematics?” Dodonna asked. “We still have the ones you provided from the Battle of Yavin.” 

“They probably made upgrades,” Madine answered. “After we blew up the last one, they’ll have found the weakness and fixed it.”

“Exactly,” Luke said, trying to get the attention of the group again. Madine was  _ not _ about to take over discussions when he was the one with important information to relay. “But it’s not functional yet, and from what he was able to find, it won’t be for some time. However, Emperor Palpatine will be overseeing the construction personally. He’s due to arrive in a few months.” 

Mon leaned forward, her eyes shining. Defeating the Emperor would be a brilliant success to the Rebellion, and an excellent way to end the reign of the Empire. While everyone in the room wanted to defeat them, she had been in this fight for over two decades. 

“Where is it being constructed?” Admiral Ackbar pressed. 

“We don’t know,” Luke admitted. “But if we send in–”

“We need the Bothans,” Madine interrupted. Luke’s hands curled into fists. He was just about to say that. This time, he felt less anxious about it and more pissed. He had been dealing with this for three months and he had stayed civil. It was beyond disrespectful. “Once Koth arrives, we can send him to get the information that Prince Luke’s team failed to acquire.” 

Luke’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?” 

Madine turned to him, raising an eyebrow with a condescending look in his eyes. The look alone was enough to make Luke bristle, but then he kept talking. 

“The computer wasn’t salvaged,” he said, as if it should be obvious. “Clearly your team lost valuable information during the slicing process.” 

Nineteen years of diplomacy training was all that kept Luke from punching the man right there. Instead, he took a deep breath, placing his hands lightly on the table and glaring coldly at Madine. 

“Twenty-three Bothans gave their life during this mission,” he said slowly, careful to enunciate every word as he stared down the other general. “Six Rebellion pilots were killed in the raid. You may not respect me, General Madine— and don’t think I haven’t noticed— but you  _ will _ respect the lives of the people who died so that we could have this information.” 

Silence took over the war room for a moment. Luke was sure that Mon was going to lecture him about strategy meeting etiquette for the next two hours, but surprisingly, he didn’t regret his outburst at all. Madine wasn’t just attacking his personal plans anymore. The Bothans had given up a lot for this information, which Luke considered insulting their help to be much more unforgivable than any level of disrespect Madine showed towards him. He kept his cold gaze fixed on the man, unblinking as he waited for a response. 

Madine looked shocked, his mouth dropped slightly open as he tried to formulate a response to that. He looked to the other members of the High Council for some kind of support, but was answered by silence from Dodonna and Ackbar and a coldy arched eyebrow from Mon Mothma. It was difficult to argue against Luke’s defense of their lost Rebellion members. He closed his mouth, glancing down for a moment. Finally, he met Luke’s cold stare again. 

“I apologize, General Organa,” he said evenly. There was something new in his gaze, perhaps a touch of admiration for the young general. 

A small smile tugged at Luke’s lips. He straightened, raising his chin slightly. Madine finally called him General Organa. He had the feeling that it would stick. 

“I understand, General,” he said calmly, his understanding nod marred slightly by the coldness of his eyes. “It is a very stressful time for all of us.” He paused for just a moment, hoping that the slightly patronizing comment would sting, especially since he was younger than Madine. Then he turned to Mon, the cool political mask donned once more. “There are a limited number of locations that a Death Star could be constructed in secret. With some research, I believe we could narrow it down to a few planets and send in spies to find the information that we lost with the computer.”

He glanced at Madine with the final suggestion, nodding to him politely. Even if they just argued, he did want to make sure that he acknowledged the mistakes of the mission. It was respectful, it was the right diplomatic choice, and most importantly, it showed Madine that Luke was the bigger man in this situation. 

“I agree,” Mon said calmly, looking over to Luke. He met her gaze, his chest bursting with joy as he noticed the pride shining in her eyes. “How long do you think it will take for Rebel Intelligence to provide us with a list of those locations?”

“I’ll put my people on it right away,” Luke promised. “We will have the list before the next High Command meeting.” He paused for a split second, then looked to Madine. Perhaps it was time to extend a peace offering. “It would help to have the expertise of someone who knows the Empire’s methods from the inside.” 

After all, he had snapped rather hard on Madine, who likely had fair reasons for doubting the youngest of their group, and as a deserter from the Empire, he would know how they thought. His input would be genuinely beneficial. 

To his delight, Madine smiled, nodding. “I would be happy to help.” 

Luke smiled. This was a few steps in the right direction. The conversation continued to discuss their losses in the raid, as well as Dodonna’s offer to spend the night analyzing the information that Koth would bring as soon as he arrived. There would be quite some time before they managed to act on this information, but keeping it secret would be essential to preventing panic throughout the base, as well as the Empire finding out that they had such vital intel. It felt like barely time at all before they were notified that Koth had arrived. 

“That concludes tonight’s meeting,” Mon said, nodding. “We will return with our new information tomorrow. Thank you.” 

Admiral Ackbar and General Madine returned to their own locations, but Dodonna, Mon, and Luke went straight to the ship hangar to meet Koth. Dodonna would simply take the schematics to study, as their lead mechanics analyst. Luke didn’t need to go, as Mon would be handling the official Rebellion thanks and payment for the intel, but he wanted to thank Koth personally and offer condolences for his loss. 

Mon and Luke were a few paces behind Dodonna, as they walked down the halls. She said nothing, but laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her smile was small, but glowing with pride. 

Despite the fact that he had never sensed their presence in the Force before, Luke had a feeling that his family was proud of him as well. He couldn’t wait to tell Leia. 

  
  


After four months of training, there was only one task left in Ben’s journal of instructions. The papers were worn from constant use, but diligently kept in good shape. Leia wanted to keep it for Luke to use someday, when she finally convinced him to train as a Jedi. It was currently open to one of the last pages, with carefully drawn diagrams. Beside it, there was a slim metal case, marked with the wings and star of the Jedi symbol. Scattered around the two items were various pieces of metal, the parts that she had found and built from Ben’s supply and her own acquired objects. They glimmered faintly in the faint light of the three moons. 

Leia sat cross-legged before the setup, her eyes closed in meditation. This aspect of training had been the most difficult for her, learning to control her emotions and release them into the Force. Ben had lovingly written the mantra of the Jedi Code on the first few pages of the book, which she had memorized by now, as she spoke it to herself every time she meditated. 

“There is no emotion, there is peace,” she murmured quietly, her hands gently resting on her knees. “There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.” 

At first, the mantra had deeply annoyed her, which she loudly expressed to Ben in the first month of training. Emotion and passion were the driving forces behind her actions. It made her the skilled warrior and pilot that she was. The emotions surrounding her loved ones helped her stay on the light side of the Force, drawing her back whenever she felt too close to the dark. Passion made her powerful. But a glance at the destroyed roof reminded her why the Jedi way warned against that. Emotion and passion were powerful. Her ability to connect with the Force in a safe way relied on her control. 

In Leia’s mind, the mantra wasn’t about what existed in the galaxy. It was about what Jedi could put into the galaxy. Perhaps the world was imbued with chaos and ignorance, but the Force was a way to amend those things. 

She took a deep breath, opening her eyes and looking down at the metal case. She opened it carefully, looking at the three colorless crystals waiting inside. In his notes about the famous Kyber crystals, Ben warned her that they were very rare, and that they picked the Jedi. It was essential that she protected them. 

For now, she hovered one hand over the three crystals, letting her eyes slide shut once more. The crystals hummed softly, singing through the Force. She could feel the different voices of each one, soft and gentle, high and ringing, warm and buzzing. She reached to them with the Force, lost in the beautiful harmony that they created. 

The powerful voice of one crystal shined above the rest. Leia lowered her hand, letting it brush over their glossy surfaces. Two were cool to the touch, but one pulsed warmly beneath her fingers, like a tiny heartbeat. A Kyber crystal had chosen her. 

Keeping her eyes shut, she lifted the crystal using the Force. It was glowing softly, but she couldn’t tell which color. It didn’t matter yet. With a gentle lift of her other hand, the scattered metal pieces on the ground rose, spinning in the air towards her. She modified or designed every one, and knew them simply by their presence in the Force. 

The first piece she drew towards her was the crystal chamber, a protective sheath that Ben had left for her to use. Using the Force, she carefully settled the Kyber crystal inside it, small twitches of her fingers adjusting for the slightest mistake in alignment. The rest of the pieces floated into place shortly afterwards, the switch clicking around the crystal, the sleeves sliding into place around it. Her eyebrows were furrowed in her focus as she carefully listened to the process through the Force, Each aspect of the lightsaber had to fit together, and if even a single piece didn’t connect with the rest, it wouldn’t work. A flick of her hand spun the pommel and emitter onto the ends of the weapon, locking them firmly into place. 

It was only then that she opened her eyes, admiring the final result. The silver and black markings came from various parts of her own life. Some of Ben’s provided machinery was unchanged, but smaller parts came from her own designs. Damaged metal from her X-Wing had been reshaped and welded into one of the sleeves and an extra washer clattering around inside Artoo had formed the pommel. It seemed to fit. 

She plucked the lightsaber hilt from where it floated in the air, picking up a small screwdriver to adjust the bolts, tightening the materials together so that they would stay without the use of the Force. After a few minutes of tinkering, a small green light flickered just over the switch. She smiled. That was a good sign. 

She took a deep breath, setting the tools aside and taking the lightsaber in one hand. She pressed the switch. 

A beam of violet light shot out the end, casting a purple glow over Leia’s face and the walls of the hut. She gasped softly, staring at the beautiful glow. She had never seen a lightsaber this color before. The one that Ben had packed away was green. His and her father’s were blue. Vader’s was red. This was something entirely new. She lifted it, using it as a light to peer down at Ben’s notes. The color formed when the Jedi made her connection with the Kyber crystal, and it was based on their personality. Green was the color of deeply spiritual Jedi, blue the color of warriors. She squinted at the page, wishing that he had been a little more detailed with the explanations. Purple wasn’t even listed. 

She looked back at it, frowning. What was the deal, then? Where would purple come from? Green, blue, and red were the only options that she knew of. Then she paused, staring at the brilliant light that it emitted. Blue and red. A mixture of the two colors would be purple. Did even her crystal know that she was shifting on the edge between the dark and the light? The thought was concerning, and she quickly switched it off. 

This was worrying, more than she cared to admit. She bit her lip, standing and pacing the small hut. Artoo noticed, beeping worriedly. 

[What’s wrong?] He asked, rolling over to her. [You should be excited. Isn’t that the last part?] 

“Yes, it was,” she admitted, not looking over at him. She turned the deactivated weapon over in her hands as she paced. Despite the color, the sensation of finally having her own lightsaber was incredible. She finally had a usable weapon again. Her belt had felt uncomfortably light when she lost her original one. “But I don’t know why it’s purple.” 

[Some Jedi have purple lightsabers,] he protested. [I don’t think it’s a bad thing.] 

“Can you tell me that for sure?” Leia asked, raising a doubtful eyebrow. Sure, Artoo had been around during the time of the Jedi, and apparently had even met a few, but she was fairly sure he didn’t know the intricacies of their rituals. His silence was answer enough. She crossed her arms tightly, staring at the ground and wishing that she had more than just Ben’s journal for help. There had to be records somewhere, but she wasn’t sure if she had time to go searching for them. Luke seemed convinced that the Rebellion would be taking action soon. No, she needed to talk to an expert. 

She lifted her head. Yoda. She had to talk to Yoda. 

“Hey Artoo,” she said, looking over at her droid. “You want to go for a flight?” 

His lights flashed in excitement. [Oh hell yes.]

  
  


Luckily, Artoo was a very independent droid who loved flying on his own. It gave Leia a few hours to sleep while he piloted them towards the misty planet of Dagobah. She packed a few days worth of clothes, hoping that he would help complete her training and give her a few answers. After all, she had a promise to keep to her old friend. Hopefully with the background that Ben’s journal had given her, she would be more prepared for the master. 

[Fucking Dagobah,] Artoo said dejectedly as they pulled into the Atmosphere. [I hate this planet.]

“Well, don’t land us in a swamp, and you’ll be fine,” Leia told him sweetly, pressing a few buttons to get them set up for a landing. “You still have the coordinates for Yoda’s hut?”

[Unfortunately.] 

“Let’s aim for a little east of there,” she told him. 

This time, she was prepared for the panic of her instruments. As the frantic beeping began, she stayed calm, carefully guiding the ship towards a safe landing. They settled on solid ground. When Leia opened her hatch, she could see the warm glow of Yoda’s little hut in the distance. Yellow light flickered in the small windows, the sole sign of warmth in the cold and desolate swamp. 

“Nice job, Artoo,” she called to him. She hopped out, pulling off her helmet and tossing it inside. “Do you mind keeping watch?” 

[I am not getting out of this ship,] he said firmly. Leia shrugged. That worked for her. 

She slid off the nose of the X-Wing, popping off of it and landing on the muddy ground. The Force slowed her fall so she landed easily, without the flare of pain in her ankles that usually would have accompanied a jump from that high. 

“Master Yoda?” She called, kneeling before the door and raising a hand to knock. Before she even touched it, it swung open invitingly. She crawled inside, her face lighting up in a smile before she spotted the old master. 

Yoda stood in front of the fireplace, leaning heavily on his cane. He smiled at her, the same mischievous glint in his eyes, but there was something new as well. There was an aching tiredness in his face. Even though it had only been a few months since they last spoke, he seemed so much older. Her face fell, worry flooding her features. What happened to him?

“Master?” She asked, concern in her voice. 

“Hm,” he said quietly, walking towards her. His voice was weak, his movement hesitant and pained. “Hmm. That face you make. Look I so old to young eyes?” 

“A little,” she answered after a beat, moving inside and sitting near him. “What happened while I was gone?” He had seemed to be in perfectly fine health then, moving quickly and using the Force with ease. Had waiting for her return done this? 

He chuckled, but it turned quickly into a cough. He shook his head, the wise expression tugged down by exhaustion. 

“Sick have I become,” he admitted, looking at the ground. “Old and weak.” He forced a smile, hobbling over to the tiny bed in the corner. “When 900 years old you reach, look so good you will not, hm?” He cackled. The sight made Leia crack a smile, despite her worry. There was an echo of the chaotic froggie that Leia had grown to love and admire during her time on Dagobah. 

“Soon, will I rest,” he said, wiggling up onto the bed. The movement seemed to require a lot of effort, but he made it. “Yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I have.” 

Leia’s eyes went wide. She shook her head, scooting towards him and sitting on her knees beside the bed. He was talking about dying. Why now? Confusion covered her features. 

“No, not yet,” she said quickly, leaning towards him. “You can’t die yet.”

He shook his head sadly, laying a small clawed hand on her arm. 

“Strong am I with the Force, but not that strong,” he told her. His voice was hoarse with the effort, but he continued lecturing her. “Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall. That is the way of things, the way of the Force.”

He tried to lift his feet into the bed, and she reached over to help, pulling the blanket over him gently. While she tried to help, she still protested, desperation. She needed his help, she needed a Master. All this work over the past few months had been to make training with him easier, to ensure she was more prepared to work with him. 

“But I need your help,” she pleaded, but his eyes were already sliding shut. “I’ve come back to complete my training.” 

“No more training do you require,” he said quietly, as if it was harder and harder for the words to come. “Already know you that which you need.”

She stared down at him. She most certainly did  _ not _ know what she needed. How had her father fallen to the dark side? Was she more likely to fall alongside him? How was she supposed to handle that problem? Did being a Jedi come with all these questions? 

“No, I don’t,” she said, trying to sound firm, but her voice trembled. She didn’t have anyone left to guide her. All her life, she had been fiercely independent, but the one time that she was desperate for the help of the older and wiser, they wouldn’t speak to her. Why were the Jedi so fucking vague? “I need your help. I know the truth about my father.” 

Pain crossed Yoda’s face. “Told you, did he?” 

That confirmed it. Darth Vader was her father, and apparently everyone got to know except for her. Ben knew, Yoda knew, did everyone know? 

“Yes,” she said quietly. “On Bespin.”

He sighed. “Unfortunate, this is. Very unfortunate.” 

“Unfortunate that I know?” Leia scowled. “That none of you decided to tell me the truth?”

Yoda looked up at her wearily, and guilt immediately curled around her heart. It probably wasn’t a good idea to yell at the dying Jedi master, but nobody had spoken to her about this for  _ months _ . She was long overdue for some decent honesty. 

“No. Unfortunate that you rushed to face him,” Yoda said, although his words were more of a groan now. He pointed a weakly admonishing finger at her. “That incomplete was your training. Not ready for the burden were you.”

Well, he was right there. The news had crushed her. Admittedly, she didn’t know when a good time would have been to tell her. Never would have been just fine. 

“How do I stop myself from following the same path?” She asked, fear in her eyes. “I can’t be like him.” 

Yoda took a deep breath, leaning towards her. 

“Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force,” he instructed. There was an earnest light in his eyes as he fought to get the words out. “But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.” He weakly grabbed her hand, pulling her close so that she could hear even as his voice weakened. She leaned in earnestly, desperate to catch every last word. 

“Leia…” He said hoarsely. Each word was forced and halting. “Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father’s fate, you will. When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Face Vader, you must. Only then will you be a Jedi Master.”

His eyes slid shut, and he collapsed against the pillow, his hand falling from hers. His last breath sighed out, and it almost sounded like relief. 

“No, Master Yoda,” she whispered, reaching for him. Before her hand reached him, he faded to nothingness, just as Ben did. She gasped, stopping short in the air. The blanket fell to the bed, and it was as if Yoda had never been there at all. 

In a daze, she stumbled out of the hut, her mind reeling. Yoda had given her so much information all at once. She was unsure how to handle all of it. 

Avoiding anger, fear, and aggression was essential to staying away from the dark side. Yoda had already told her that, but it wasn’t much. She had to avoid her core personality traits and focus on the Jedi way. It wouldn’t be easy, but she could try. It would be simple if she could spend her life meditating, but Yoda said that she had to confront Vader in order to be a Jedi. She knew what that meant; she would have to kill her own father. 

She had zero problem with that part. Darth Vader was not Anakin Skywalker. Even Ben had admitted that much when they first met, that her father had been consumed by the dark side. Killing him would mean defeating the darkness that ran in her blood, stopping an evil man from hurting any more people. Vader had killed thousands. He haunted the nightmares of her best friend. He had to be taken care of, and it would be the ultimate test of her Jedi skill to do so. 

The rational, concerned side of her brain rose against the fierce determination. How would she defeat Vader without more training? She learned out of a notebook. He had destroyed her the last time that they met, and he only took her hand. If she faced him again, with the power of the Emperor at his side, she would fall. Perhaps if she had Yoda beside her, or even Ben, she could do this. She couldn’t face that kind of dark power alone. Her heart pounded in her ears. 

She turned back to the hut, hoping that somehow his spirit was still there and able to talk to her, but she stopped short. The warm glow of the fireplace faded all at once. Darkness overtook the swamp. Yoda was really gone. 

Rage and grief fell over her in a wave, and she turned away sharply, screaming and kicking the nearest rock and sending it soaring into the lake. 

“I can’t do this!” She yelled at the sky, hoping that the Jedi Masters could still hear her from wherever they resided in the Force. “I’m just one person! I can’t be the last Jedi!”

“You aren’t alone,” a gentle voice called. Leia turned sharply, and her lightsaber was immediately in her hand, lighting the surrounding swamp in a faint lavender glow. She turned sharply, facing the new figure ready to fight. 

The blue figure raised her hands. She was an older woman, her hair pulled into a neat bun at the back of her neck. She wore simple clothes, oddly similar to those that Leia remembered Aunt Beru wearing on Tatooine. Noting the transparency of her gentle expression, Leia lowered her lightsaber, deactivating it. A Force ghost. 

“Who are you?” She asked, relaxing slightly. All she felt from this woman was warmth, the light side of the Force. It was safe. 

“My name is Shmi,” she said softly, approaching Leia on silent feet. Shmi. It sounded like a Tatooine name. 

“Have we met?” She asked, studying the woman more closely. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. 

Shmi smiled sadly. “I wish we could have, Leia. But fate is not always kind.” 

Well, that was exactly as informative as the rest of the information that she heard from the Jedi. Evidently ghosts had an issue with explaining things directly. 

“Then, what brings you here?” She asked carefully. It was slightly rude, but she had always been a little blunt. Shmi was nice, but it didn’t seem as if she knew much about the killing of Sith lords. She studied the woman carefully, wondering why she was so familiar. The woman was definitely from Tatooine, if her clothes and name were anything to go by. But Leia was certain that she had never seen her, so how would they have known one another? What would bring her here now? 

“I asked to speak with you about this,” Shmi said, smiling softly. There was a glint in her eye, a slight hint that she had done more than just ask. “The Jedi chose not to argue.”

Leia scoffed, kicking a stick away from the log. So Ben was avoiding her once again. Would it kill him to have an honest conversation with her? What was he doing in the world of the Force that he didn’t have time to discuss her having to kill her own father? 

“Coward,” she muttered bitterly. 

“You make them nervous,” Shmi admitted. She reached up, cupping Leia’s cheek with a translucent hand. Leia only felt a cool breeze, but she leaned slightly into the motherly motion almost on instinct. “You have your mother’s face, my dear, but you have my son’s heart, and that terrifies the Jedi.” 

Leia’s eyes went wide, and she stared at Shmi’s face with a new fascination. The strange familiarity suddenly made sense. 

“Grandmother?” She whispered, her eyes staring wonderingly at the woman, trying to find features that matched her own. After so long with no family but the Rebels, here she was finding family member after family member. Too bad only the evil one seemed to be alive.

Shmi smiled sadly, her thumb brushing gently across Leia’s cheek. For a moment, they could only look at one another, each imagining another life they could have experienced in better circumstances. Her hand eventually dropped to her lap, as if she was waiting for the barrage of questions. 

Leia certainly had plenty of questions leaping to the tip of her tongue. What happened to her? How had her son turned into such a cruel man? Why hadn’t she met her grandmother before now, if she could appear through the Force this way? Unfortunately, she didn’t have time for a full life story. That could come later, once she had dealt with Vader. 

“I’m not my father,” she said after a moment, shaking her head. It was understandable that the Jedi were concerned with their similarity, but she had worked hard to make sure she wouldn’t end up like him. It wasn’t like Ben had done much to help her avoid becoming like him, since he refused to answer any of her questions. “Do they really think I’m going to become him?” 

Shmi didn’t answer for a moment, a considering look in her eyes. Leia couldn’t guess at what was running through her mind. After all, she knew Vader before he fell. Perhaps she knew something Leia didn’t, which was a fairly long list. Finally, she spoke. 

“Tell me, granddaughter,” she said carefully. “Why did you leave Tatooine?” 

“There was no reason left for me to stay,” Leia answered automatically. “My aunt and uncle–” 

“I know what happened to Owen and Beru,” Shmi interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. “But do you remember the exact moment that you decided to leave?” 

Leia was silent. She did. 

When they found the Jawas and realized that their records had led the Stormtroopers to the family farm, she had bolted away without a thought, going as fast as her speeder could take her home. As she drove, she imagined her Aunt Beru being pushed around by the soldiers, the way that Uncle Owen would rise and shove them away from her. Her family preferred a simple life, but they had fighters deep at their core. The idea of them getting hurt by standing up to Stormtroopers made her see red. 

She saw the smoke first. It rose in a dark column to the sky, a warning. A part of her knew right then, but she didn’t accept it. She couldn’t. 

“Uncle Owen!” She yelled, leaping from her speeder before it even completely stopped. She fell on the landing, rolling and scraping her palms and knees in the dirt. “Aunt Beru!” 

Leia shoved herself to her feet, running towards the house. Their droids were shattered to pieces, lying in the dust. Smoke poured out of her home, and in front of it, she could see two objects. 

She had to believe they were objects in that moment. Those weren’t the bodies of her aunt and uncle. Those weren’t the people who had raised her, patched her up after every fight, taught her to fix a droid, to drive a speeder. Those were blackened bones, charred nothings. They were her family. 

She fell to her knees, ignoring the pain that sparked there from her earlier scratches. She barely registered the tears running through the dust of her face. Her jaw was clenched so tightly that she half worried her teeth would crack under the stress. 

The Empire had stolen her family from her. They had taken everything. They had hurt and killed the two people who had always cared for her. For a moment, she hung her head, closing her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. 

The grief in her heart pulled away, making room for the ever present rage. It poured into every part of her, curling her stinging hands into fists and burning out of her dark eyes when she opened them again. In all her fights, all her anger, she had never felt a rage or hate like this. She was going to make the Empire pay. She was going to raze every Star Destroyer, every base, every ship, every soldier. The Emperor and every single one of his lackeys was going to burn for this. 

She slowly rose to her feet, shaking with rage. With great effort, she turned away from her childhood home and slowly walked back to her speeder. She was going to find Ben. They were going to take the droids to Alderaan. He would teach her to be a Jedi. Then she would use her powers to help the Rebellion take the Empire apart piece by piece. 

Leia blinked, her mind returning to the present. The expression on Shmi’s face told her that she already knew when she had decided to fight the Empire. That rage had fueled her ability to destroy the Death Star, and had sated her burning desire for revenge. 

“When I was killed, my son reacted exactly as you did,” Shmi explained, her voice gentle. “Except his revenge came immediately. He slaughtered an entire village of Sand People in his rage. If those Stormtroopers had been there, would you have done the same?” 

Leia didn’t answer. She knew she would have. 

She stared at the ground, her eyes burning with tears. Was this who she was? Was she a monster, destined to give into rage just as her father was? She hated the idea that her father lived in her, but he did. All that anger was what drove him to the Dark Side, and he was a fully trained Jedi. How would she be able to stop herself from becoming that? Why did she have to come from someone as terrible as him? Everything that she had done, everything that she tried to do was in the pursuit of avoiding that fate. But what if she couldn’t stop it? What would happen then? 

“I didn’t come here to scold you, Leia. I came to ask for your help.” 

Leia looked up at her silently, her eyes shining with unshed tears. 

“The Jedi want you to kill Darth Vader,” Shmi said quietly. Leia wondered if she had to watch when her son turned from a child to a monster. It had to be heartbreaking. “I’m asking you to forgive him.” 

Leia balked, pulling away from her. Yoda had given her very specific instructions, and she would carry it out. It was the only way for her to become a Jedi, stop the Emperor. 

“What?” She said, shocked. She rose to her feet, pacing back and forth on the ground in front of them. “He may have been your son once, Grandmother, but that person is gone. He’s a killer.” 

“He may not be completely lost, Leia,” Shmi pleaded. Her hands were folded carefully in her lap as she watched the younger girl pace. “My son is still inside him, I can feel it.” 

“And what has your son done?” Leia demanded, rounding on her. The woman didn’t flinch. “He’s committed genocide. He helped blow up my best friend’s home planet. You know the Rebels tell their soldiers to run as soon as Vader is seen in the area, because he is an unstoppable force of death. Is that your son?” 

“My son is still inside that suit,” Shmi said, desperation in her voice. “I know he’s done terrible things. He has the same anger that you do, only when he gave into his rage he had the power to wreak destruction.” 

“You think I don’t know that?” She yelled, running her hands through her hair. The movement pulled strands from her braid, making her look almost as maddened as she felt. “I have nightmares that I become him, that I’m going to wake up one day and find myself standing over the bones of an entire culture, the evil Empress.” Her voice trembled, and she couldn’t meet her grandmother’s eyes again. Those nightmares came more often than she cared to admit, in terrifying detail. 

“And wouldn’t you want your loved ones to have the strength to forgive you and bring you back to the light?” Shmi’s voice was soft, unspeakably gentle. It stopped Leia short. 

If she turned, would she want her friends to come after her? She couldn’t be sure how Han would react; she didn’t know if she could face any of the others in the Rebellion after that, destroying everything that she worked towards. None of them even knew that Darth Vader was her father, nobody except… 

“Luke,” she said quietly. “Luke would try to bring me back.”

He had only responded with love when she confessed what she had found out to him. He reassured her, promised that she wouldn’t end up like that. Even though Vader had brutally tortured him, he didn’t judge Leia for their relation. 

If she turned, Luke would come after her. He would walk up to her, with that hopeful light that seemed to radiate from him, take her hand, and ask her to stop this and come home. He would never stop trying to defend her, never stop loving her and wanting her to come home. No matter what the Rebellion would say, no matter what everyone they knew would say, he would always try to get her to turn back. 

“He has your mother’s heart,” Shmi said thoughtfully. “Forgiveness comes more easily to him.”

Leia nodded, absentmindedly agreeing, but then she processed what Shmi had just said. Your mother. She said your mother. 

“Wait what?” She stared at her with wide eyes, shock and hope lighting through her veins. “Luke and I… we have the same mother?”

She looked at Leia as if this should have been obvious. “He’s your twin brother.”

“WHAT?”

Suddenly, a million things connected in her mind, little events that she hadn’t paid attention to until now.

When she first saw that hologram back on Tatooine, she had felt a pull to the boy prince. She had watched the short message over and over, transfixed by his face and voice. She had assumed that she was attracted to him, since she had never felt anything like that before. 

When she had seen him on the Death Star, broken but resolute, it was like reliving a forgotten memory. He was so familiar, but she couldn’t understand why. But in that moment, a fierce protectiveness began to warm her heart, something that still lived in her to this day. 

Even back on Cloud City, she had been seconds away from certain death, hanging from a cable above an abyss, and something in her had pushed for her to call for him. And he had come back for her, just minutes later, holding her tightly and taking care of her. 

_ He’s your twin brother. _

“Luke is my brother,” she said quietly. 

_ We don’t give up on family _ , he had told her once. Ironically, he had considered himself her family long ago. Even from the moment they met, he had offered her a new family and home in the Rebellion. Maybe a small part of him had always known that they were siblings, even if he didn’t realize it himself. She couldn’t wait to tell him. 

In her position, Luke wouldn’t give up on Vader. He would defy all the Jedi in an attempt to find the goodness in his father. That was who he was; Luke had looked beyond her anger and seen the strong girl that she was, and he had invited her to join the Rebellion. He had looked at a pirate and seen a man that he could love. Luke found the light in people. She could try to do the same. 

The rational part of her brain spoke up again, filling her with worry. How could she promise her grandmother that she could forgive Vader when Yoda warned that she would have to confront him? 

She paced for a few moments, Shmi waiting patiently for her to work through her thoughts. Shmi had told her that she wasn’t alone. Perhaps it was in reference to herself, but Leia needed someone strong with the Force in order to defeat the Emperor and end this war. Perhaps if she could talk Vader to her side, she had a chance. He had offered her the world, once. Perhaps forgiving him, bringing him back to the light, would be their opportunity to defeat the Empire. It wouldn’t forgive all the hell that he had wrought on the galaxy, but it was a start. As always, she could deal with the consequences later. 

“Okay,” she said quietly, nodding to herself. She turned to Shmi, determination setting in her eyes. “I’ll try. I promise I’ll try.” 

  
  


“Are you certain you need to accompany them on this mission?” Mon asked, concern in her voice. She stood in the doorway to Luke’s quarters, holding her elbows as she watched him pack a small bag. 

Luke glanced over at her, a touch of bewilderment in his eyes. Months of planning, and now she wanted him to back out? He had worked through every aspect of this. There were backups upon backups, and he needed to be there for all of them. Even if the original plan worked out and he didn’t have to go in with Chewie, he still wanted to be there when Han was rescued. 

“You know I have to,” he told her. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, despite his own nervousness over the mission. “I’ll be back in less than a week, I promise.” 

Mon shook her head. She hadn’t liked this plan right from the start, Luke knew. He had kind of forced her hand, as he was ridiculously stubborn about saving Han. 

“This is a crucial moment,” she reminded him. “The Bothans will be back with their confirmed reports before you return.” 

That aspect had disappointed Luke more than he cared to admit. After all, he had spent months trying to find the intel about the second Death Star. Missing the final moments would be difficult, especially in terms of planning the actual attack. He would be present for some, but not the initial discovery. 

“Koth will inform you of everything personally,” he said. “And I’ll be back for the battle strategy meeting.” He sighed, looking down at the packed bag. His dedication to the Rebellion had been his sole purpose for years. This was the one selfish thing that he had done in a long time. Hopefully he earned it. “I’m sorry I’m leaving Mon, but I have to do this.” 

Mon walked over to him, her robes rippling softly with the movement. He turned to face her, ready for the admonishment. Instead, she wrapped him in a tight hug, a rare outward expression of affection. She was a fairly reserved person, most often communicating in subtle glances and the smallest of touches. Luke melted into the hug, pressing his face against her shoulder. She ran a light hand over his hair. 

“I understand, Luke,” she told him. “All I ask is that you return safely.” She pulled away, lightly tapping him beneath the chin. “I value your contributions to our meetings.” 

He smiled. It was always nice to know that Mon was proud of him. He nodded, a warm look in his eyes. 

“Thank you,” he told her quietly. They went their separate ways, Mon to her office and Luke towards the waiting  _ Millenium Falcon _ . He took a deep breath, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. Determination set into his eyes. It was time. 

  
  


Since she was already on Tatooine with Artoo, Leia was the first to arrive at their meeting place. There was a compact section of cliffs within eyesight of Jabba’s palace, which she could only see as a small point in the distance. Artoo was chirping eagerly, clearly thrilled to be on the forefront of a mission at last. 

Sand crunched behind her, and she turned, smiling. Luke hurried towards her, a beaming smile on his face. She threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him in a tight hug. The new knowledge of their shared heritage made more sense now. She felt safe, complete, now that she was with him. She didn’t let go for a long moment. Luckily, Luke didn’t seem to mind, his arms wrapping tightly around her ribs. 

When she pulled away, he looked at her with just a touch of confusion in his eyes at the overly affectionate greeting. He didn’t question it, just smiling at her warmly. Leia noticed that he had the same high cheekbones as Shmi, making a flare of excitement run through her veins. Her grandmother promised that Ben would explain everything further later, but didn’t want to distract her from her current mission, so Leia would do the same. She could tell him about their bond later. No amount of blood could make them closer than they already were. 

Chewie roared behind him, wrapping Leia up in his own affectionate hug. He had been acting as liaison between Luke and Lando, since their friend was currently in deep cover as one of Jabba’s guards. Threepio waddled up behind them, greeting Artoo first. The droids did not enjoy being separated, so it was as enjoyable a reunion for them as it was everyone else. 

Once everyone had gotten their hugs in, they turned to the palace in the distance. Leia intertwined her fingers with Luke’s, pleased to see her determination reflected in his blue eyes. They were going to get their friend back. 


	2. Saving Han

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of their plans go awry, but hey, maybe this time it'll work out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! We're back! Fair warning before you dive in, I did take out all the elements of things like sexual slavery in Jabba's palace, because it fucks me up big time and it's slightly better for Jabba to use them as pretty decorations (You know, just like the director did). 
> 
> I hope you like it!

“You at least need to try it,” Luke said impatiently. 

“No.” Leia stood stubbornly in the cave that they took refuge in. She crossed her arms, shaking her head. They had been at an impasse for some time now. Artoo paused between the two, pale blue holographic letters floating above him. Luke put his hands on his hips, shooting her an annoyed look. 

“I’ve been working with politics all my life,” he said pointedly. “I’ve run negotiations with dozens of planets and helped organize treaties with the Imperial Senate. And my script isn’t good enough for you?” 

Leia pinched her nose. “For the last time, I am not calling that slug ‘Exalted One’.” 

“Flattery is part of diplomacy, Leia!” 

She sighed. She knew that Luke had worked hard on devising the perfect plan to get Han back. He organized every step. He just didn’t account for the fact that she was as stubborn, if not more so, than him. 

“I’ve dealt with Jabba all my life,” she told him, trying her best to stay calm. Luke was a politician, but she had been butting heads with Jabba for years. He wouldn’t buy that she was suddenly polite. “I want to talk to him like me, not like a princess.”

“I thought you wanted to go the peaceful route,” he said. That much was true. On one of their many holo calls, she had mentioned the peaceful Jedi ways, and explained how a true Jedi would give Jabba a chance to peacefully surrender. Although it was the true Jedi way, she detested the idea of giving such a cruel being the freedom to continue his reign. The only solace was that she knew he would refuse, and  _ then  _ she would get to kill him.

Until then, however, she was stuck dealing with Luke’s carefully peaceful plan. 

“Fine,” she said. She waved for Artoo to ditch the holographic cue cards. “But I’m doing the first message my way.” 

Luke threw up his hands, defeated. It turned out that he could sway the opinions of the entire Alliance High Command, but not one particularly stubborn Jedi. 

“Fine,” he said, turning to walk out of the cave, where Chewie and Threepio were waiting. “Let me know when you’re done.” 

Satisfied that Luke was giving her the space to do her own thing, Leia smiled, gesturing for Artoo to begin the recording. She looked forward with cold eyes, smiling slightly. 

“Hello, Jabba,” she said. “Remember me?” 

She had caused him quite a bit of trouble during her time on Tatooine. Whenever he sent his people to collect unfair taxes, or tried to kidnap young people, Leia made it her priority to become his problem. If she couldn’t fight for the galaxy, she would at least protect innocents on Tatooine. It had been a long series of near misses on both their ends. She never quite won, always biding her time and keeping herself safe. Now she realized that Ben had quite a bit to do with her survival up to this point, but she was trained now. She didn’t need that extra guardian. 

“I know we had our disagreements, but now you have something that I need,” she continued, icy calm in her voice. “I’d like to speak with you about Captain Solo. I’m sure we can work something out. As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids. They are hardworking and will serve you well. I’m sure you will make a sensible decision.” 

With that, she ended the recording. She knew damn well that Jabba wouldn’t agree, but Luke had hopes that it would work out. Obviously they planned for several different occurrences. She placed one of them in an open slot inside Artoo’s head, a small space that was a surprisingly perfect fit for a lightsaber. Her hand clung tightly to the weapon, unable to let it go for a moment, but she knew she couldn’t walk into Jabba’s palace with it on her hip. 

She forced herself to release it, and it sank into Artoo’s parts and blended in among them perfectly. She nodded to him. Unlike Threepio, Artoo knew exactly what needed to be done. Luke had informed him of every aspect of the plan, every eventuality. Threepio would panic, so he was kept in the dark to be his anxiously talkative self. 

“Good luck,” she told him, smiling down at the faithful little droid. 

[I don’t need luck,] he said, easily, rolling out of the cave. Leia rolled her eyes, following him to stand beside Luke. The two of them watched as a golden protocol droid and a blue Artoo unit made their way across the desert. Threepio chattered worriedly, his anxious voice fading into the sunset. 

“Artoo is such a smug little shit,” she told Luke, rolling her eyes. 

“I wonder where he learned that from,” he replied dryly. 

She whacked him lightly on the shoulder. 

  
  


A report came from Lando by the end of the day. Jabba had laughed away their offer, but taken the droids as his own. That was excellent, it worked perfectly aligned with their plan. 

“That takes us to Phase 2,” Luke reported, marking off a note on his datapad. He had detailed every aspect of the plan, with different branches for any possible decision that Jabba made. He smiled up at Chewbacca, nudging his side with his shoulder. “Ready for our part, Chewie?” 

Chewie groaned. He hated that aspect of the plan, but they needed to let themselves get captured in order to attempt Phase 2. If Luke was able to sneak in as a disguised bounty hunter, it would give him an opportunity to break Han from the carbonite. If he could get Han out of the palace, Lando could help Chewie and the droids out shortly afterwards. It would be a short, easy solution. 

“It won’t be long,” Leia reassured him. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll be in right after.”

“Remember, if nothing else, you’ll need to take out the Rancor,” Luke reminded her, waving the datapad at her. “Then Jabba will be forced to kill us out in the Sarlacc Pit.” 

“Great,” Leia said flatly, her voice packed with false enthusiasm. 

“It’s a much better spot, strategically,” he said. “It’s open and–” 

“Gives us an opportunity to take out a majority of his associates,” Leia finished waving a hand. Luke had only gone through the plan eighteen different times since his arrival on Tatooine. “You do remember that we helped you make this plan, right?”

“Right,” Luke said, pressing his hands to his face. He was barely holding himself together. He had a habit of going over plans time and time again when he was nervous. While all his plans were of great importance to the galaxy, this particular one had personal significance to him. Getting Han back was a goal that he held for months, one that he didn’t have much time to be emotional about due to his Rebellion duties. Now, in the end of their plans, he had no extra work to distract him. He was nearly panicking. “Just worried.” 

Chewie threw an arm over Luke’s shoulders, pulling him close. He leaned against the Wookiee’s warm body, closing his eyes. Chewie reassured him, reminding him that he had expertly planned these circumstances and that everything would go well. The hug was more convincing than anything else, honestly. 

“Thanks, Chewie,” he told him, smiling. “And you’re sure you’re still okay with this plan?”

He nodded vigorously, growling in affirmation. They all agreed to this plan, calculated it perfectly to ensure their survival and success. 

“It’s all to save Han,” Luke said quietly, as if reminding himself of that fact. 

He said the same thing to himself the next day as he and Chewbacca walked down the halls of Jabba’s palace. It hurt his heart to put his best friend in a spiked collar like that, especially knowing the horrendous treatment that Wookies endured on Kashyyyk, but Chewbacca had reluctantly agreed to it. Luke held the chain in a gloved hand, trying to keep his back straight as he marched into the terrifyingly dark walkway. Shadows and creatures moved in the darkness, mechanical spiders and the Gamorrean guards starting towards them but backing away as Chewbacca roared. He imagined that the sight was baffling, as he was managing to wrangle a creature almost twice his height, but it hopefully added to the level of professionalism that he tried to give off. 

Luke had gotten the bounty hunter gear off a recently deceased Ubese named Boushh. He made the mistake of attempting to blackmail Black Sun. It was an unwise choice, but one that worked out well for Luke’s plan. Almost nobody knew that he died, and he always wore a helmet that scrambled his voice. It was perfect to infiltrate the palace in. The only downside was that he couldn’t see a thing in the helmet. 

The yells of guards that made the mistake of getting too close to Chewbacca echoed through the palace, interrupting a performance. A green Twi’lek woman was in the middle of dancing, but she moved to the side as soon as they walked in. Luke noted the chain around her neck, the burning fear and anger in her eyes. He knew that Jabba kept slaves, but seeing it made his stomach turn. He tried to ignore the way she huddled for safety alongside the throne, instead focusing a cold gaze on Jabba as he stood before him. 

“I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee,” he said calmly in perfect Ubese, one of the many skills that he picked up over the years. 

“Oh no, Chewbacca!” Threepio said worriedly, much too loudly for the room. Luke bit back a sigh. This was why nobody told him the plans. At least it would convince Jabba further that none of this was a setup. 

A sting of pain went through his chest at the sound of Chewie’s mournful cry. He had warned Chewbacca beforehand that he would have to be careful about playing the part, and not give any sign that he cared, so he kept his body language as cold and indifferent as possible, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. 

Whatever Jabba said, he sounded incredibly pleased with the sight before him. He laughed loudly, calling Threepio over for translation. Luke was grateful, as Huttese was not something he had a lot of practice with. While he spoke to Threepio for a translation, Luke casually scanned the room, a cold feeling washing over him as he noticed Boba Fett in the corner, watching the pair of them carefully from a circle of women. A knot of tension in his chest, he turned forward again as Threepio spoke. 

“The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-five thousand,” he said politely. 

“I want fifty thousand,” Luke replied shortly. “No less.” 

Threepio dutifully passed the message on, but clearly Jabba didn’t take it well, because he roared and shoved Threepio right off the throne. The droid wailed, crashing into something that sent a green substance flying in the air. Luke nervously shifted his staff to the opposite hand. 

Threepio waddled in front of Jabba, green splattered across his face and hands. Although droids weren’t supposed to process fear in the same way as live beings, Luke could have sworn that his hands were shaking. 

“What did I say?” He asked worriedly. When the slug only responded in heated Huttese, he turned back to Luke, translating. “The mighty Jabba asks why he must pay fifty thousand.”

Luke smiled beneath the mask. This was a little idea that he had stolen from Han’s stories of his younger days. While he had assumed that the stories were just meant to impress him while they spent time together, this particular one actually seemed doable. Besides, it was right up Jabba’s alley. 

“Because of this,” he said, holding up a silver ball. With the press of a button, it activated, flashing red and beeping loudly. 

Threepio recognized it instantly. “Because he’s holding a thermal detonator!” 

The instantaneous panic that hit the room right afterwards was beyond satisfying. Experienced smugglers and hardened criminals dove behind doorways and shoved one another out of the way in a frenzied attempt to escape. The Twi’lek woman beside the throne simply closed her eyes, waiting. Luke planted himself firmly before Jabba, staring straight at him and carefully not letting any of his fear show.  _ This is for Han. _

The tension between them was frozen for a few beats even as chaos reigned throughout the room, but then Jabba began to make a strange sound. Luke was startled to realize that it was laughter. Luke didn’t understand what he was saying, but he almost sounded approving of the manipulation. Luke’s eyes darted to Threepio as he translated, but he half worried that he wouldn’t even hear him over the ominous sound of the beeping explosive. 

“Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five,” he said hopefully. “And I suggest you take it.” 

Luke let the moment rest for a beat, using this brief moment of power over a room of dangerous people to build his confidence. He would need it in order to finish the rest of the plan. Finally, he spoke, agreeing to the plan. When the beeping of the thermal detonator ceased, the entire room relaxed, as if simultaneously breathing out a sigh of relief. 

“He agrees!” Threepio announced with delight. 

The guards regained the bravery to step forward, taking Chewbacca from Luke and marching him down a dark hallway. It was almost painful to let go of the chain, but Luke forced himself to do it, and walk nonchalantly towards the throne as Chewbacca was dragged away. The roars of anguish echoed long behind him, making it almost impossible to focus on the discussion of the payment. 

He looked around the room once again, finding that Boba Fett’s visor was pointed directly at him. For a split second of terror, he thought that he had been caught. But the man only nodded to him, almost respectfully. Luke let out a slow breath, nodding back. The first part was done. 

Mingling at the party was easy enough. Luke had done it thousands of times as a royal and a Rebellion spy. He rested, talked about random subjects with the others at the party, and somehow didn’t throw up in a corner. 

Hours and hours later, most of them had drunk themselves into a supor, passed out in various points of the room. Luke, who had been pretending to follow their same state of drunkenness throughout the evening, had faked passing out some time ago. It was perfectly quiet, perfectly dark. Time to get Han. 

He sat up, glancing carefully around the room. Nobody stirred when he moved. Carefully he made his way down the stairs towards Han, frozen in carbonite and hung proudly on the wall like a particularly striking painting. The expression of agony on his face was just as heartbreaking as it had been the first time that Luke saw it, but he forced himself past the emotion, moving through the darkness carefully and slowly. One mistake here could give him away before he even had the chance to free Han. He couldn’t afford to be reckless. 

He pressed into the corner alongside the wall, breathing quietly as to not draw attention their way. Lando had written out the instructions for defrosting a carbonite encasing, which Luke had memorized until he could do it in his sleep. He pressed a careful sequence of buttons, turning dials and watching the flashing change of the lights and displays. 

He positioned himself in front of the raised carbonite, hands outstretched as he waited for Han to be released. It would be a bit of a fall, but it was well worth them avoiding the loud thud that would occur if he lowered the carbonite from the wall. 

Han’s pained figure turned from silver to a burning shade of red, casting a hot light over Luke. He glanced around worriedly. This was too obvious. If he didn’t hurry, there was a chance that someone would wake up and yell for help. The carbonite hissed in a high pitched tone like ice on hot metal, making Luke wince. They were screwed. 

But then Han fell forward, and logic and planning went completely out the window. Luke caught him by the chest as he fell, but the pirate was a full head taller than him, so it only served to slow their path to the ground. Han landed halfway on top of Luke, and he carefully rolled him over so his torso was draped across Luke’s knees, gently cradling his head and looking down at him lovingly. It had been all too long since he saw the face of the man that he loved. 

It took a moment for Han’s body to be completely free of the months of freeze, but when it did, he started shaking uncontrollably. Luke took his hand to help steady it, running the other hand over his damp hair. 

“Just breathe,” he assured him gently, his voice still distorted from the helmet. “You’re free of the carbonite.” He studied the sweat on his face, the uncontrollable shaking of his body. It didn’t seem like he could see either, if the unfocused stare of his eyes was anything to go by. “You have hibernation sickness.” 

“I can’t see.” Even fresh out of what must have been a hellish experience, Han’s voice didn’t tremble. Luke’s heart warmed even more at the sound. His brave pirate. 

“Your eyesight will return with time,” he assured him, glancing around. They needed to go. He could sit here and stare at Han forever, but there would be time for that later. Right now, escape was paramount. 

“Where am I?” This time his voice trembled a little, at the helplessness that his temporary blindness brought on, Luke assumed. He started scrambling around with shaking hands, his hand landing on Luke’s chest and slowly moving up to his head. 

“Jabba’s palace,” Luke told him quickly. He wrapped an arm around Han’s back. “We need to move. Can you walk?” 

Han’s hand stopped on the front of the mask, his fingers leaving marks on the glass visor, as if Luke’s vision wasn’t impaired enough already. “Who are you?” 

This question was quieter, as if he had an idea of who was actually beneath the mask. Hope rising in his chest, Luke abandoned all ideas of safety and ripped off the stupid helmet, leaning close and touching Han’s cheek with gentle fingers. 

“Someone who loves you,” he said gently, the words full of love. 

Han’s expression changed, love and affection and happiness flitting across his features in quick succession. 

“Luke,” he whispered. On his lips, the name was a blessing and a praise, an aching longing filled with love. He wrapped an arm around Luke’s shoulders, pulling himself up to wrap the prince in a tight hug. Luke closed his eyes, breathing in a shuddering breath as he hugged him tightly. He had Han back. Everything would be okay now. 

“We have to get you out of here,” he said, breaking the hug to pull Han to his feet. Han tried to help, his legs trembling like a newborn deer, but Luke held most of his weight. It was difficult, but he didn’t fall. They unsteadily started towards the exit, but inhuman laughter echoed through the darkness, freezing Luke where he stood. 

“I know that laugh,” Han said resignedly. 

Luke’s breathing quickened, his heart pounding. He slowly turned around, towards the source of the laughter. A curtain was drawn back, revealing Jabba’s throne, flanked by Threepio and a few others. They all laughed uproariously, looking incredibly smug at Luke’s failed plan. 

Like he had so many months ago, before Han was frozen in carbonite, Luke clung to the man he loved, working very hard to keep himself from trembling. He had planned for this possibility, of course, but it was another matter entirely to be facing it. He recalled the Twi’lek woman, who was currently absent from Jabba’s throne, and the collar around her neck. He bit his lip, tasting bitter fear. 

“Hey, Jabba,” Han said pleadingly, gesturing desperately towards the wall beside them. Luke quickly turned him so he was at least trying to talk things out with Jabba while actually facing him. “Look, Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little sidetracked. It’s not my fault.” 

If Luke wasn’t so terrified, he would smile. All their awful circumstances aside, it was quite nice to hear Han’s desperate attempts to swindle someone again. 

But Jabba, predictably, wasn’t moved. When he replied in cold Huttese, Han’s face fell. Luke became uncomfortably aware of the guards behind them, cutting off any further chance for escape. So many months, so much planning, and he was in the same position that he had been in on Bespin. 

“Look–” Han tried to say, but Jabba interrupted him, and two guards manifested behind them. One grabbed Luke’s arm and shoved him away from Han, making him stumble. 

“No!” He yelled, trying to dive after Han, panic and desperation in his voice. He had just gotten him back, he had  _ just _ gotten him back. He couldn’t lose him again already. His eyes burned with tears. He knew this might happen, that they would be separated, but no amount of planning could prepare him to have Han ripped from his arms again. 

A strong hand steadied him from behind, fingers curling around his upper arm with just enough force to hold him back. He looked up to see Lando’s eyes behind a guard’s helmet that covered the lower half of his face. 

As Han yelled at Jabba, Luke desperately watched him get dragged away, dread sinking in his heart. There was nothing he could do to help him now. Lando leaned close to Luke under the premise of dragging him away. If all went well, Lando would deposit him with the others and they could stay safely in the cells together. 

“It’s okay,” he said quietly, starting to tug him off to the side, away from Jabba and out of more danger. “We’ll get him later.”

Then Jabba spoke again, and Lando froze. Luke could feel the tension in his grip, and he knew that they were screwed. Jabba had taken notice of him. He drew in a trembling breath, but forced himself to stand straight as he was led towards the gangster. 

“You’ll regret this,” he said to Jabba as a Gamorrean guard forced him towards the throne, standing just below Jabba. He tried to make his voice cold, but it shook slightly. Why was he being singled out? It couldn’t be for a good reason. 

_ At least it isn’t Vader or the Empire, _ he thought, but the sentiment was immediately followed by,  _ That’s a low bar.  _

Jabba said something else that Luke didn’t understand, and Lando pulled him away with a short nod. He rushed him away, the jeering of the crowd ringing in his ears. He said nothing, keeping his face impassive. Inside, his mind reeled with panic. What did Jabba have planned for him? Would he be with Chewbacca and Han?

“What did he say?” He hissed once they entered a somewhat vacant hallway. 

“You’re going to be one of his personal slaves,” Lando said quietly, barely moving his lips as he spoke. “The girls are going to help you get ready, then you’re back with him. I’m sorry, Luke.” 

Luke shook his head, clamping down on the terror inside him as best he could. Lando had done all he could, and Luke very much appreciated him for that. It wasn’t his fault. Luke heard that Jabba liked to pick certain young people as his personal slaves, decorations to stand beside him and look pretty. He also knew that their treatment was never good. 

“I’ll be okay,” he said quietly, keeping his eyes forward. “I survived torture from Darth Vader twice. I can handle a slug.” 

He wasn’t sure if he could, but right now, he wanted to put Lando at ease. His friend had done enough, and he didn’t need the extra stress. If there was one thing that he had learned over the years, it was not to underestimate the horrors that the universe could introduce. There was always a worse option. 

There was a small room lit at the end of the hall, slightly brighter than the rest of the darkness of Jabba’s palace. It was cramped and tiny, four women in flimsy costumes sleeping at various points of the room. They blinked wearily as Lando gently nudged Luke inside. 

“Jabba wants him dressed and ready in an hour,” Lando said gruffly. 

“We get it,” one woman, a redhead dressed in sheer blue robes, said coldly. Her sharp green eyes fixed on Luke, and he stared at her for a moment. “Now clear out. It’s dancers and slaves only.” 

Lando seemed uncomfortable with leaving Luke alone, but he could hardly argue. He hesitantly backed out, taking up a guard position right outside the door. After all, he would still need to escort Luke back. 

Luke paused. For several moments, he held the gaze of the redhead, wondering why he got such a cold feeling from her. Her demeanor was somewhat relaxed, but experience with the Senate and the Rebellion gave him the ability to recognize when someone was playing a part. While she was one of the best that he had ever seen, he could still catch it. She was strikingly beautiful, and those eyes of hers seemed to pierce his soul. 

“Who are you?” He asked, tilting his head slightly to the side. 

“Arica,” she replied smoothly, her gaze never leaving his. She didn’t offer any other information, or even seem to care about who he was. It was as if she already knew, although Luke had no way to be sure of that. Something about her was very strange, and it made Luke uncomfortable. 

He tore his eyes away, looking to the other women instead. Two had just rolled over to go back to sleep, but one sat up. She was the green Twi’lek whose dancing Luke had interrupted. She looked at him, a mixture of interest and dislike in her eyes. He smiled a little at her, noting the collar around her neck, one that the other three didn’t have. Arica and the other two were free dancers, but this woman was a slave, chained to the wall so she had no chance of escaping. 

“Oola, find him an outfit,” Arica snapped, turning away. 

Oola stood, tiredness in her eyes. Luke followed her to the rack of clothes along the far wall. The chain barely let her reach, but she dutifully went through the outfits, skimming through a wide array of colors. Luke stood beside her, twining his hands together across his stomach to hide his nervousness. 

“I’m sorry I interrupted your dance,” he said quietly. 

“You ruined my escape attempt.” She was quiet, as not to bring attention from the dancers, but her tone was sharp. Luke regarded her with new eyes. So Oola wasn’t a broken, terrified slave. She was a fighter, still determined to find a way out. 

“Then I’m even more sorry,” he replied after a beat. Did she really expect to escape, though? It took months of careful planning for their idea, so how would she manage it alone? “Did you really think you could get out?” 

She grabbed a flimsy green thing, something that could barely be considered a loincloth, ahd shoved it against his chest. “One way or another.”

Ah, so that’s what her plan was. Escape for real, or escape by death. Enough time in captivity could do that to anyone. Luke considered touching her shoulder sympathetically, but he opted against it. 

Although he didn’t approve of her choice in outfit. Green? And that shade of green? Absolutely not. If he was going to have to be on display in Jabba’s palace, he would at least be in a color that didn’t look awful on him. He put it back, scanning the clothing himself for a moment. 

“Stay alive, Oola,” he said quietly, selecting a maroon and gold loincloth. He looked at it for a moment, nodding. It would have to do. “You never know when a chance for freedom may come to you.” He turned to her, offering the tiniest smile. Jabba was an awful being, but at least being trapped here meant that he could help someone else, too. 

Her eyebrows raised slightly, a spark of hope flickering in her dark eyes. There was skepticism too, distrust, but a glimmer of hope was all that Luke could offer. She shook her head, turning away. 

“Get dressed…” She trailed off, looking back at him expectantly. 

“Luke,” he supplied. 

“Get dressed, Luke,” she finished. “The sooner you’re done, the sooner I sleep.”

He couldn’t fault her for that. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, he stripped off his clothes, his cheeks flushing red. At least nobody was looking at him. The free dancers had gone to sleep, and Oola was kind enough to turn away. The situation would be far different once he was up in Jabba’s court. 

Unsurprisingly, being dressed in nothing but a loincloth was absolutely freezing, especially in the damp tunnels of the palace. It did next to nothing to protect his modesty; the long maroon swaths of fabric running between his legs were the only real protection that he had. He crossed his arms uncomfortably, walking over to Oola and shivering slightly.

“Cold?” she asked, a touch of sympathy in her voice. Luke nodded, although at least half the shivers were due to fear. The last thing he wanted was to go up and face Jabba like this. “You’ll get used to it.” 

She handed him a small pair of boots and a circlet for his arm, items that did absolutely nothing to make him feel less vulnerable. The fear and loathing that flashed through him must have shown on his face, because Oola gave him an understanding look. The mesh clothing was held together by barely a few straps of leather, so she likely felt just as exposed as he was. 

She sat him down on one of the beds, sitting beside him to add a little makeup. Jabba was evidently very specific about how he wanted slaves to look. Luckily, she kept it mostly light and natural, which Luke was fairly used to. His hair was left down, the blonde locks falling gently around his face. 

“It’s almost lucky for me, you coming along,” she said as she finished working on him. “Now I’ll just dance. You’re stuck with him.” 

That wasn’t particularly comforting, but Luke had seen the way she looked when he came in. He had a feeling that she deserved the break, which made it a little easier to prepare himself to walk back up to the leering eyes and cruel crowd. Being brave came more easily to him in defense of someone else. 

“Do you have any advice?” He asked quietly, catching her gaze. Her dark eyes were much softer than the sharp gaze of Arica. 

She paused, pressing her lips together. 

“Try not to speak,” she warned after a beat. “He doesn’t like it. He just likes to have something pretty sitting near him, seen and not heard.” 

Well, Luke might be able to do that. He wasn’t as skilled with the snarky comments and sharp responses that Han and Leia were amazing at. He grew up as a prince and a spy, so staying quiet and listening was familiar. The reasoning was humiliating, but he could handle it. Hopefully. 

“Thank you,” he told her, nodding. She nodded back, setting her brush down. He took that as a signal that he was ready. Fresh fear curled in his stomach, ice cold. The doorway seemed ominous and terrifying when he looked at it. He didn’t want to do this, he didn’t want to go back to that hell. But he glanced back at Oola, a woman who had dealt with this and much worse in her time, and remembered the people he loved who were also imprisoned here, and he stood, closing his hands into fists to stop the trembling. 

He walked out, his face flushing red. Lando’s eyes went wide with horror as he took the outfit in, his face filling with pity. Luke looked miserable, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. He couldn’t meet Lando’s gaze, unhappiness curling tightly around his ribcage. 

Lando opened and closed his mouth for a moment, clearly trying to find something comforting to say. But it seemed that he couldn’t come up with anything that made the situation any less awful. He just took Luke’s arm gently, tugging him through the halls. 

As they walked, Luke desperately tried to think about the plan to keep himself from being completely aware of the stares of the guards. Leia would be coming at midday tomorrow to take out the Rancor. From there, it would hopefully only be another night before Jabba opted to toss them in the Sarlacc Pit instead. So Luke just had to get through this for a couple days. That was all he had to do. 

The attempt to distract himself was destroyed by a wolf whistle as they reentered the court, two larger Gamorrean guards yanking Luke from Lando’s grasp and dragging him before Jabba. Luke didn’t resist, knowing that it was useless. Right now was about staying alive, not fighting back. 

Jabba laughed, appreciation in his eyes. He said something else that Luke didn’t understand, and a hand sharply grabbed his hair, making him yelp at the pain. Then the worst part happened. 

A collar, just like Oola’s, was clamped tightly around his neck, locking shut. The other end of the chain was in Jabba’s hand. 

As soon as it was shut, the guards let Luke go, and he gasped, grabbing at it with horror on his face. Thankfully it was relatively loose, enough to get a few fingers between the metal and his neck, but he was constantly aware of its presence. 

He barely had time to process this before Jabba yanked on the chain, choking him and dragging him forward, all the way up onto the platform. He couldn’t do anything to resist without feeling like he couldn’t breathe. It was even worse because it reminded him of Darth Vader’s hand choking him and lifting him up, the bruises that had lasted for weeks afterward. His eyes burned, and a hard shove on his back made him fall on the throne beside his little rat, which was shrieking with ugly laughter. 

Humiliated, terrified, and thoroughly miserable, Luke began to cry. 

  
  


Leia knew that something was wrong. She tried to communicate with Luke just before the sunrise, but he just told her that he hadn’t gotten Han out and that she should proceed to the next phase of the plan. She could feel humiliation and fear, but he didn’t tell her why. Something not according to plan had happened, something that he wasn’t prepared for. 

It made her even more furious because Jabba had clearly hurt her little brother. (She had already decided that he was the younger twin, without any proof whatsoever). It made her feel slightly less apprehensive about the dark side for the time being. If it took a little extra power to rescue her friends, she would do it. 

Determined to help him as best she could, she pulled on her Jedi robes and marched to Jabba’s palace just as the suns cleared the horizon. She didn’t have a gun, only armed with righteous rage and the Force. 

Unlike the droids, she didn’t need to wait for them to open the door for her. She reached out with the Force, opening it without a problem. Bright light shined behind her, illuminating the darkened cave. Even her silhouette had the creatures scattering for cover, even though her short frame was much less intimidating than Chewie. Perhaps they sensed her anger. 

Two Gamorrean guards moved to stop her, and she barely blinked before flicking her hands to the sides, using the Force with barely a thought to throw them against the wall. They hit it hard, sliding down the wall and groaning on the ground. Her lips twitched slightly in a smile. 

Bib Fortuna, a Twi’lek scum that had been serving Jabba for ages, approached her, hurrying up the stairs. She ignored whatever he said, simply fixing him with a cool gaze. 

“You will take me to Jabba now,” she said, waving her hand slightly and keeping her eyes on his. 

A look of blank confusion crossed his face, followed by him nodding and repeating the phrase in Huttese. Leia had perfected this early. After all, it was the first real Jedi mind trick that Ben had done in front of her, and it was preferred by the Jedi who used nonviolence. Bib obediently led her to Jabba’s court. 

“You serve your master well,” she added, putting the power of the Force behind her words. Bib nodded, repeating it eagerly. “And you will be rewarded.” 

When she entered the court, most of the creatures within it were sleeping, including Jabba himself, who was snoring quietly. Bib went straight to awaken his master, but Leia stood in the middle of the floor, ignoring the guards beginning to surround her in favor of the burning anger in her veins. 

Luke was sitting on the throne beneath Jabba. All he wore was a long maroon loincloth, which barely covered him. His bare chest heaved with barely contained panic as he stared at her, hope and fear in his red-rimmed eyes. The part that infuriated her most was the collar around his neck, shackling him to Jabba. Her hands curled into fists.

_ Leia, _ he said softly through their bond. A wave of shame at her seeing him like this came through with it, and a tear rolled down his cheek. 

_ I’m going to kill him _ , she said, almost seeing red.  _ I’ll fucking kill him right here _ . 

_ No, _ he said instantly, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.  _ Stick to the plan _ . 

She could feel how hard the decision was for him, just how much effort it took to keep from screaming and running to her. She took a breath, sending affirmation his way and focusing on Jabba, who was just beginning to realize that his lackey had failed. The anger gave her strength, as it always did. 

“I told you not to admit her,” Jabba snapped in Huttese, clearly upset about being woken up so early. 

“I’m already here and you’ll listen,” she told him shortly, putting power behind the words. Bib nodded eagerly, repeating the words to Jabba, who looked furious. 

“You weak-minded fool!” He roared, grabbing Bib by the throat. “She’s using an old Jedi mind trick!” He shoved his lackey off the throne, sending him to the ground. 

That was a helpful bit of information. Clearly the old mind tricks didn’t work on Jabba, because she had directed that last one at both of them. She would just have to do this her own way. 

“I’ll be taking all three of your prisoners with me, whether you agree to it or not,” she said shortly. “I’m capable and happy to rip this palace apart, but I’m playing nice. I can pay you, or I can kill you. You know the price of underestimating me.” 

“You’re the same little girl that you were all those years ago, Skywalker,” Jabba sneered, scowling at her. He tugged meaningfully on the chain, making Luke choke for air. Leia snarled. “I shall enjoy watching you die.” 

She lost her temper. She reached forward with the Force, squeezing his throat with all her strength. It was the same trick that she knew Vader used, but she didn’t care. Jabba deserved to die struggling for air. She imagined her hand was a collar around his neck, just like he had done to Luke, except she was pulling it shut like a noose. 

Jabba’s eyes widened, and he flailed with one hand, striking a button. The floor suddenly dropped from beneath her, sending both her and a Gamorrean guard that stood too close tumbling down a narrow shaft. 

Luke leaned forward, half prepared to dive after her, but a hand at his shoulder stopped him. Lando shook his head. To everyone else, it seemed like he was keeping a prisoner in line. But he understood. Leia could handle herself, and they had to stick to the plan. He pressed his lips together, looking down through the grate with worry in his eyes. 

Leia rolled across the sandy floor, shooting rapidly to her feet. She knew what was coming, but seeing the menacing form of the Rancor before her did send a shiver a fear up her spine. It was huge, with wide shoulders and giant claws, its teeth dripping with drool and the blood of previous meals. She backed away, looking around for some kind of weapon. This was a test. A lightsaber did not a Jedi make. She had to defeat the Rancor on her own. 

The Gamorrean guard, squealing loudly and struggling to escape, provided a distraction for the beast. The Rancor immediately went for him, grabbing him easily in one giant claw and biting his upper half off entirely. 

Leia kept a wary eye on it as it finished its meal, but focused on scanning the ground for a weapon. She picked up a rather large bone, quickly analyzing the Rancor’s movements. It was big, which should have made it slower, but its claws swept quickly across the ground, so she had to be fast. She bolted, circling the creature. She used the Force to leap upwards, climbing the rocks with ease. 

The Rancor turned, its bloody claws reaching for her eagerly. Leia ran and leapt for an outcropping, but a hand snatched her out of the air. She grunted, struggling against the creature. It was too big, she wouldn’t be able to fight her way out.    
  


It raised her to its mouth, roaring putrid breath over her. Stars, that was the worst thing that she had ever smelled. She grit her teeth, trying to hold her breath. When she neared its mouth, she shoved the bone inside, wedging it between the Rancor’s jaws and forcing its mouth open. 

It roared in pain, dropping her. She hit the ground hard, grunting. While the beast was still surprised, she dove through its legs, climbing upwards to where the stones were loose. She used the Force to shove a few out, sending them tumbling to the ground. She needed to buy herself a little time while she figured out a way to kill this thing. 

There was a loud snap as the Rancor successfully bit the bone in half, turning towards her and reaching for her again. As it turned, she caught a glimpse of something beyond its shoulder. A utility door. It had a small window that shined with light, and it was beyond the giant door where the Rancor had entered. That was her chance. 

A claw reached for her, scrabbling through the cracks. She grabbed a decent sized rock, smashing it down hard on a finger. A roar of pain answered her, and she grinned darkly. She leapt from the hiding place. She threw the rock at the Rancor as a distraction, hitting the ground and rolling to her feet. She bolted for the door. 

A button easily opened it, but it only led to another barred door. She yelled in frustration, hitting the bars with an open hand. She turned, stepping forward to face the Rancor with bloody determination in her eyes. She wasn’t sure how she could kill it, but by the Force, she wasn’t going to let Jabba’s goons laugh at her death. 

Her gaze was drawn to a red light in the corner. A button. Well, at this point, she might as well try it. Hell, maybe it would even help. She picked up another rock, throwing it with all her might at the button. 

The Rancor lunged towards her with a roar, claws outstretched. The rock hit the button. The large door dropped down, slamming on the Rancor’s neck and cutting its roar off with a cry. 

Hardly believing that it worked, Leia slumped against the wall, breathing hard. Killing the Rancor had been more difficult than she expected. 

“So that’s what that does,” she muttered. 

The barred door opened up, and guards poured in. She yelled, swinging at them and struggling hard, but she was careful not to use the Force. Everyone underestimated the small young woman. She would let them do so until it outlived its usefulness. 

Luke grinned as Leia killed the Rancor. It was a brief moment of hope, a sign that their plan was working, if they actually stuck with it. Then Jabba yanked the chain, roaring furiously in Huttese. Luke choked, his upper body being yanked harshly against the slug’s body. He struggled for air, tears coming to his eyes. 

Lando was the one to handcuff Leia, helping another guard drag her up the stairs. She grunted and cursed at them viciously, but she didn’t kick at Lando or strike him. She knew who was on her side, even if she couldn’t show it. 

Han was dragged from another side of the tunnel, and her eyes widened. 

“Han!” She yelled. They got lucky; their guards yanked them towards Jabba close together. 

“Leia!” He responded instantly, his eyes going wide with recognition. But he didn’t look at her, his eyes wandering and tracking nothing, so she knew he couldn’t see her just yet. 

“Are you all right?” She asked, scanning him. He didn’t seem outwardly injured, so at least Jabba hadn’t beaten him yet. Chewie was tasked with protecting him in the dungeons, and it seemed that he was doing his job well, not that Leia ever doubted him. 

“Fine,” he grunted, familiar annoyance in his voice. “Together again, huh?” 

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Leia said grimly, aiming a particularly harsh kick to the knee of a nearby bounty hunter. 

“How are we doing?” 

“Same as always,” she replied dryly. 

“That bad, huh?” Han knew how well their plans usually worked. 

They were finally forced to stand in front of Jabba, and the gangster did not look pleased. 

“Where’s Luke?” Han asked, a note of desperation in his voice. Her heart squeezed. They had hoped that Luke would end up in the dungeon with Chewie and Han, but evidently Jabba was even more of an asshole than she initially assumed. She couldn’t wait to kill him. 

“I’m here!” Luke called, but a yank to the chain cut him off, and he yelped, his mouth opening and shutting uselessly as he struggled for air. Leia snarled murderously, starting forward. A firm tug from Lando kept her in place, a reminder. They were outnumbered, and anything she did would only cause Luke to get hurt more. Chewie groaned as he was dragged alongside them, with a few extra guards to keep Wookiee strength contained. 

“Oh dear,” Threepio said miserably, shuffling forward towards his friends to translate for Jabba. “His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately.” 

“Good, I hate long waits,” Han shot back. Leia grinned. Stars, she had missed the pirate. He could always be counted on to make snarky comments to their attackers. 

“You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc,” Threepio continued. 

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” Han muttered to Leia, shrugging as best he could. 

“In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years.” Even as he announced it, Threepio sounded horrified by the idea, looking fretfully between Jabba and his friends. 

Chewie roared, telling Threepio off for the suggestion. 

“On second thought, let’s pass on that, huh?” Han suggested. 

Leia glared straight at Jabba, dark pleasure in her eyes. Good, he had fallen right into their setup. Now, he was going to die. She couldn’t wait. Luke smiled slightly at her, still in pain from the collar. Their plan had worked. Only one part remained. 

The guards dragged them away, towards the sail barge that would become their doom. As they did, Leia sprang to life, fighting her captors and wrenching herself around to yell at Jabba. 

“I’ll kill you for this!” She yelled, letting out every ounce of her fury. “I’ll kill you for this, you son of a bitch!” 

To Jabba, it was just the frenzied cries of someone facing their doom, useless and weak. He laughed smugly, yanking Luke’s chain again. Luke closed his eyes, reaching for the warmth of the Force. Just one part of the plan left. 

  
  


For everyone except a few, the sail barge had a festive mood. Cheerful music played over speakers, as the hired band had not been invited on the execution. The dancers had been left behind as well, save for Oola, who was in the middle of the floor dancing for Jabba. She was still collared, but her chain had been removed since Jabba had a new personal slave to torment. 

When they left the other dancers behind, Arica had been furious, her green eyes flashing with anger as she pleaded for Jabba to let her go. Her desperation to be on the barge confused Luke, as it wouldn’t be an enjoyable trip, but he said nothing. As he was forced on the barge beside Jabba, he glanced back at her, seeing her glaring at him hatefully, her red hair thrown around her face by the desert winds. Who  _ was _ that woman? 

Luke sat on the edge of the throne, trying to run through the plan in his mind in a desperate attempt to keep his mind off the collar, which grew more painful as bruises formed around his neck from the constant yankings. 

Two smaller skiffs traveled alongside the larger ship. One held a group of extra guards, while the leading one had Han, Chewie, and Leia in bonds, awaiting their death. Leia was icily calm, staring straight forward with a touch of a smile on her face. They were just about to win, after all. 

“I think my eyes are getting better,” Han said, blinking a few times and squinting at the horizon. “Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.”

“Not much to see,” Leia said. “I used to live here, you know.” 

“You’re gonna die here, you know,” Han responded immediately, raising an eyebrow at her. “Convenient.” 

She rolled her eyes. Months in carbonite certainly hadn’t changed him. At least that was one constant in her life: Han being a little shit. She had missed him. 

“Just stick close to Chewie and Lando,” she said, turning back forward with a smug look on her face. “I’ve taken care of everything.”

“Oh, great.” Han, who was not born yesterday and had been on the unhappy end of mamy of Leia’s failed plans, did not sound convinced. 

When they reached the Sarlacc pit, Leia was pushed to the front, a guard undoing the bindings on her hands. She rubbed her wrists, leaning over to look at the monster. It was a giant mouth, almost like a beak, surrounded by tentacled and spines in a writhing mess, squealing in anticipation of a meal. She scrunched her nose at it in disgust. Her friends seemed to share the sentiment. 

“Victims of the almighty Sarlacc,” Threepio called, translating for Jabba. Leia looked up, seeing the golden droid standing in one of the open windows. “His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably. But should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas.”

Leia scoffed. Han was slightly more vocal about his anger with the current situation. 

“Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of…” He paused for a moment, trying to find the right word. “Worm-ridden filth he’ll get no such pleasure from us.” He glanced at Chewie, sounding slightly less sure of himself and much quieter. “Right?” 

Chewie barked in agreement. Leia looked coldly at the barge, shaking her head. 

“You signed your own death warrant, Jabba,” she called. 

Jabba laughed at the idea, ordering the guard to move her into position. She was nudged onto the plank, walking all the way to the end. She raised her head, scanning the area. Lando nodded to her from behind the guard. Artoo was in position on the upper deck. She saluted him. She sent a silent question to Luke, and received a nervous affirmation in response. 

Leia smiled. 

She leapt off the plank before the guard could shove her in, expertly twisting around to grab the edge and use it as a spring to throw herself back onto the ship. She completed a neat flip, landing lightly on her feet and reaching into the air. Artoo shot the lightsaber straight up. She used the Force to call it to her hand, igniting it with a dark grin. 

“Surprise,” she said, launching herself into an attack on their guards. 

Lando attacked the stunned guards, shoving one right over the edge and into the pit. Leia struck at another with her lightsaber, the purple blade hissing as it cut into his side. He dove off the edge of the skiff in order to escape it, which worked out just as well. 

She darted back towards Chewie, who was prepared for this to happen, and Han, who looked beyond confused with the whole situation. Chewie hadn’t told him many details, since they didn’t know where Jabba would be listening. Combined with his temporary blindness, Han had no idea what was going on. 

Chewie roared, telling Leia to hurry up so he could help. 

“I’m working on it,” she told him, quickly finding the latch and knocking it off. “Keep Han from killing himself, will you?” Even with his recent illness from getting out of carbonite, Han was reckless enough to throw himself into the heat of the battle. Leia knew this very well because she would do the exact same thing. 

A blaster shot fired from the sail barge, striking their skiff right beside where Lando was fighting another guard. They both fell right off, but Lando was able to grab a rope to save himself from falling into the pit with a yell. 

“Lando!” Leia yelled. She started towards him, intent on helping, but Boba Fett landed right in front of her. She dove between the bounty hunter and her friends, swinging the lightsaber at him with deadly force. She clipped the front of his gun and kept pushing forward, sparks flying from the armor as her lightsaber glanced off it. Fucking Beskar. 

“Help!” Lando yelled from below the skiff, and Leia turned, wanting to help. 

Another blast hit the side of the skiff, making Han and Chewie fall to the floor. Before Leia could help Lando, a wire shot out and wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She scowled, her eyes finding the gun of the sail barge. When he shot again, she twisted sharply, deflecting the blast. It was an awkward angle, but it worked. The fallback of the cut wire sent him to the ground. 

“Han, Chewie!” Lando yelled. Han’s eyes went wide, and he looked around worriedly. 

“Lando,” he said, scrabbling for a way to help. 

As blaster fire came from the other skiff. Leia ran and launched herself towards it. She flipped forward, landing hard on the nose of the skiff. She heaved herself onto the railing, giving her the high ground to strike at them with ease. 

Her lightsaber blazed. One by one, the guards fell, easily mowed down by her powerful strikes. She leapt forward, kicking one in the face and twisting sharply to knock the other one off the skiff altogether. He screamed as he went down, falling into the Sarlacc. 

Somehow, moments later, Boba Fett shot by her, screaming. She paused for a moment, staring. His rocket pack had short circuited, sending him slamming hard into the side of the sail barge. How the hell had Han managed to take out an expert bounty hunter so easily was beyond her. He probably had earned it though, after Cloud City. 

A hand yanked hard on her braid in the split second that she was distracted with Boba Fett’s somewhat anticlimactic death, making her yell in pain. She swung her lightsaber around viciously, twisting and slashing hard across his chest. Rage poured through her veins. Every strike came with fresh ferocity, either clean kills with a stroke of the blade or knocking them off the skiff to let the Sarlacc take care of them. 

Leia heard Han yell, and turned around to see Chewie holding him upside-down off the side of the rickety skiff, struggling to reach Lando and help him. It wobbled further when a blaster shot from the sail barge hit it. 

She turned her gaze to the top level of the sail barge. That was her next target. Stepping back a bit, she took a hard running start. She leapt off the railing, hitting the sail barge so hard it almost knocked the wind out of her. 

“Ow,” she muttered, pulling herself up the side of the boat. 

The window beside her opened, a snarling guard reaching out with a gun. She barely spared him a glance. A swift yank to the arm sent him falling into the dirt. She continued climbing, pulling herself up to the top deck. 

  
  


As soon as Leia’s purple blade ignited against the Tatooine sky, chaos erupted in the room. Jabba yelled, ordering guards to provide backup to the skiffs. Luke watched silently as the most dangerous criminals left the room. He met Oola’s wide eyes from across the room. She looked shocked with the sharp turn of events. Everyone ignored the collared slaves as they rushed around, since they evidently didn’t pose much of a threat. Luke grinned. 

He grabbed a loose piece of pipe from the ground, turning and smashing the control board. Darkness overtook the cabin. The chaos became even worse as the electronic shutters fell shut, cutting off the sunlight from outside. 

Luke grabbed the chain that had been choking him all day, his eyes narrowing as he yanked it from Jabba’s hands. The slug roared, but he couldn’t position himself to get it back. 

“Oola!” Luke yelled. She shot to her feet, and he tossed her the other end of the chain. “With me!” 

She caught the chain, brief confusion passing over her face before her features lit up. Luke dove over the back of the throne, maroon fabric fluttering behind him. Oola followed him on the opposite side of Jabba, and together, they pulled the chain tightly against his throat. 

“Pull!” She yelled and they heaved together as one, straining hard. 

Luke grit his teeth, all the anger that he had felt during the hours of forced silence, the humiliation from hours of being leered at, the pain of being choked every time Jabba got bored, rose inside his chest, manifesting in cold strength. The same rage, even stronger, shined in Oola’s eyes. 

Jabba struggled, his tail trembling. He groaned as he choked, and a dark satisfaction rose in Luke’s chest. He wanted Jabba to feel his pain. 

Neither of them faltered, both former slaves pulling with all their might. The crime lord struggled frantically, but he had no chance against their bloody determination. Eventually, le let out a rattling breath, slumping forward in death. 

Oola and Luke let go of the chain, breathing hard. She fell halfway forward, leaning on the throne, but Luke felt surprisingly energized. The cold power in his veins gave him an odd amount of strength, but he shivered. Something felt off about it. He hadn’t ever felt something like this before. 

“Luke, come on!” Oola said, grabbing his arm. “We have to go!”

Her eyes were lit up, the lines of stress on her face smoothed out. The rush of freedom must have been intoxicating. Warmth bloomed in his chest at the sight, banishing the remaining cold inside him. He smiled, hurrying alongside her. 

A harsh yank to his throat cut him off, and he fell down, groaning. He would never wear a necklace again, after this. Oola dropped beside him, helping him to his feet. They looked to the source of the problem, their faces falling. The chain was trapped around Jabba’s dead body, beneath the weight of his dead body. It would take more than the two of them to get it free. Luke touched the collar, despair in his chest as he struggled to breathe. They were  _ so close.  _

“Get to the upper deck,” he told Oola, squeezing her hand and gently pushing her away. “We’re taking the skiffs to get out of here. If Leia knows I sent you, she’ll get you on one safely.”

She shook her head. “But Luke–”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Go.” 

She hesitated, but there was stubbornness in Luke’s blue eyes. She hugged him tightly. He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her gently. They stayed together for a moment before she pulled back, gratitude in her eyes. 

“Thank you, Luke,” she said quietly. She hurried to the door. “I’ll find you some help!” 

Luke smiled at her retreating form, but as soon as she was gone, he tugged helplessly at the chain, biting his lip. He knew that Leia wouldn’t blow the barge with him still on it, but the knowledge that Jabba was holding his chain even in death was terrifying. 

  
  


Leia had just made it to the upper deck when Oola burst from the hatch. She was too busy attacking the guards to notice the Twi’lek woman at first. She started with the gunner, slicing off his hands with a deft twirl of the lightsaber. The Force sang with warning behind her back. She twisted, raising her lightsaber to block a blast. It shot right back at the original attacker, sending him flying backwards. 

She sliced the gun out of a Gamorrean’s hands, instinctively leveling her lightsaber at the next person who came near her. 

“Wait!” The woman yelled, stopping so sharply she stumbled back a few steps. Leia paused, lowering her weapon. It was the green Twi’lek dancer from Jabba’s court. Judging by the collar on her neck, she was a slave. Leia’s heart immediately softened, some of the bloodlust of the fight fading away. She was well accustomed to the horrors of slavery on Tatooine. She had grown up with the knowledge that she was the first freeborn child of her family for generations. 

“Luke is trapped below deck,” the woman said desperately, pointing to an open hatch. As she spoke, another guard emerged from the opening. Leia cursed, putting herself between her and the guard. 

“Get to the skiff,” Leia told her, blocking blasts from the guard as he advanced on them. “I’ll send him some help. Go!” 

Oola glanced over the railing at the skiffs, nodding. When Leia darted towards the guard, she ran, intent on getting herself to freedom. 

One problem solved, Leia focused on taking out the guard. She blocked his blasts, too distracted by the idea of Luke being trapped to be able to deflect them back at him. 

“Artoo!” She yelled, glancing at the droid who had been electrocuting any guard that turned their back on him. He whirled around, beeping questioningly. “Luke is below deck! See what you can do to help.” 

He beeped in affirmation, heading down the ramp to find the prince. She scowled at the guard, kicking him in the chest and sending him to the ground. Two followed shortly after, cautiously positioning themselves on opposite sides of her, looking at one another in preparation to attack. She raised an eyebrow at one, gesturing to the other to egg him on. 

  
  


Artoo found Luke yanking at the chain desperately. He beeped to alert the prince of his presence. Luke turned, relief flashing across his face. He knew Leia would send for him. 

“A little help?” He said, kneeling down and holding the chain taut for him. A short electric bolt cut the chain neatly in half, and he stood, smiling down at the droid. He could always count on Artoo to be a good bodyguard, ever since he was young. “Thanks.” he glanced over at Threepio, who was being attacked by Jabba’s little pet. “Help him, then clear out.” 

He ran for the door while Artoo zapped the creature off Threepio. He had to dodge guards as he wove through the dark halls, panic-induced adrenaline running through his veins. He couldn’t be captured again. It would only give more time for the guards to overwhelm them. 

He finally found the hatch to the upper deck, finally emerging into sunlight. Leia was surrounded by guards, but fighting like a demon. She held her own well. Luke glanced at the large gun attached to the back of the deck, making sure the way was clear before running over to it. 

The gun was the biggest on the ship, capable of taking down anyone who even came close to the sail barge. Today, it would serve their own purposes. He grabbed the controls, spinning it around and pointing it downwards at the deck. 

Leia snarled as she fought the attackers. They were starting to reach numbers that she couldn’t quite overcome. As she attacked one, another shot at her hand, making her cry out. It was the artificial hand, but it hurt just as much as a real one. She grit her teeth, switching her lightsaber to the other hand and slicing at the one who hit her. He fell back with a cry. 

She saw the droids fall off the end of the ship and Luke get the gun into place out of the corner of her eye. 

She darted over to him, slashing at another guard on the way. A rope dangled from the ceiling. She grabbed it, getting a good grip and deactivating her lightsaber. She hooked it to her belt, stretching a hand out to her brother. 

“Luke, come on!” She called. 

He ran over, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding on tightly. She wrapped a hand around his waist, holding onto him tightly. She glanced to the side, kicking a lever on the gun. It fired, causing a huge explosion. The twins clung close together and leapt off the deck, swinging safely to the skiffs. More explosions followed in a domino effect right afterwards, causing the whole sail barge to explode. 

Leia landed easily on the deck of the skiff, releasing the rope to grab Luke’s arm to steady him. Her hand landed on the arm cuff, the only thing that he had been allowed to wear on his upper body. Anger flashed through her, and she relished in the sound of the continued explosions behind her. 

“Don’t forget the droids,” Luke called to Lando, who was preparing to fly them away. 

“We’re on our way!” He replied with a grin. 

Luke hugged Leia tightly, pressing his face to her shoulder for a long moment. She hugged him back, her heart aching. She hated that he had to go through that for the rescue, and even more that she hadn’t thought about the possibility beforehand. 

“I’m so sorry about that,” she whispered to him. She pulled away, taking off her long sleeved overshirt and wrapping it around him. He seemed relieved for a little extra coverage, pulling it tightly across his chest. She had a white tank top on underneath, which was honestly far better for the Tatooine heat anyways. “I should have known, I should have guessed–” 

“Leia,” he interrupted, taking her hand. His eyes were understanding and gentle. “It’s over, we’re safe.” 

“I’ll never let that happen again,” she swore. A surge of protectiveness rose up in her chest. She had always wanted to keep him from harm, but the feeling was amplified now that she knew he was her brother. Her brother had been paraded around Jabba’s goons like a doll, and she hadn’t stopped it, or even warned him. 

“Hey,” he said quietly, squeezing her hand. He looked a little confused by the determination in her voice, the fierce look still lingering in her eyes. “It’s okay. Let’s just get back to the fleet, okay?” 

She nodded, releasing his hand. She would have to tell him about their shared heritage, and soon. But definitely not here, in front of everyone, especially since nobody else knew that Darth Vader was her father. It would have to be later then. 

Luke smiled at her, then turned to Oola, who looked mildly uncomfortable with all the strangers around her. He took her hand, a kind look in his eyes. 

“This is Oola,” he told them, laying a hand on her shoulder. He pointed to each person in turn. “Oola, this is Leia, Lando, Han, and Chewie. The droids, Artoo and Threepio, and currently below the skiff.” 

She waved awkwardly. Leia could feel that Luke was burning to say a proper hello to his pirate, but his diplomatic heart required him to make sure that the newcomer felt safe first. It was so cute of him. So, she decided to rescue them both. 

“Oola,” she said, stepping over to her and gesturing for them to step off to the side. “Where are you from? Is there somewhere that we can drop you off?” 

They drew into quiet conversation, discussing her homeworld and safe places to go. Luke shot her a smile, then walked over to Han. 

His heart fluttered a little as he neared Han. The fight had mussed his hair, so it stuck out all over his head like feathers. Luke couldn’t decide if it was more adorable or sexy. After another moment of staring at his chiseled features, he decided it was sexy. That, combined with the loose white shirt, Luke could look at him for hours. 

“My eyesight isn’t great yet,” Han said, amusement in his voice. “But I think you’re staring at me, your highness.”

Luke flushed. A part of him had wanted to take advantage of the moment to stare at Han for a moment, but apparently his sight was starting to return. Unfortunate timing, but he was glad that he could see again. It would make his plans for later much more doable. Still, he wished he wasn’t wearing this stupid loincloth. Thank the Force that he had a spare stash of clothes in the  _ Falcon _ ; he figured that he would die of embarrassment if he had to walk back onto  _ Home One  _ like this. 

“I missed you,” he said quietly, stepping forward and taking Han’s hands. His palms were warm and calloused, squeezing Luke’s hands gently. 

“Enough to stare?” He said smugly. Luke rolled his eyes, letting go of one of his hands to shove him lightly. Han chuckled, releasing Luke’s other hand to wrap his arms around his shoulders, pulling him close. Luke wrapped his arms around his waist, smiling up at him. It was nice to be back in his arms. “I missed you too, Luke.” 

The way that he said Luke’s name, low and gravely and touched with emotion, made a thrill go through his heart. He leaned his head against Han’s chest, closing his eyes and listening to the steady beat of his heart. The remaining tension from his experiences at Jabba’s palace began to fade away. He felt safe again. They stayed that way for almost the entire trip, just enjoying the peace of being together again. 

  
  


When they got back to their little hideout, the suns were setting, beautiful colors streaking across the sky. They parked beside the two ships, tucked carefully into the side of the cliffs, and Han grinned broadly. 

“There’s my girl,” he said proudly. Luke grinned up at him, going on his toes to kiss him on the cheek. Leia coughed loudly. 

“For fuck’s sake, do that when I’m gone,” she said, looking mildly disgusted. Chewie chortled at that as he pulled the skiff alongside the  _ Falcon _ . Leia high-fived him as they hopped off, pausing beside the ship. Han squinted at her as she left, incredulous confusion on his face.

Luke shot them a disapproving look as he stepped off the skiff, courteously offering Oola a hand down. She stepped down beside him, and he took one of her hands in both of his. They walked to the ship with Chewie, Lando, and the droids shortly behind, leaving Han and Leia lingering between the two ships. 

“What the hell is wrong with your hand?” He demanded, taking her wrist to look at the back of her hand. The skin had split, but there was only a small amount of blood, because wires and machinery were visible beneath it. “Did you always have that?”

“Oh no, Vader cut it off in Bespin,” she said casually, lifting the hand up and inspecting the hole. “The mechanical hand is new.”

Han’s mouth dropped open, and he stared at her. She could practically smell the smoke as the wheels turned in his head. It was a difficult thing to make sense of. One one hand, it was a little hard to believe that the tiny spitfire he picked up on this damned planet all those years ago would fight the most menacing figure in the Empire and live to tell the tale. On the other hand, this was Leia. She would try to fight anyone. 

“Did I miss anything else?” He finally said, his voice a little strangled. 

Leia thought about it for a moment, which made even more horror rise on Han’s face. After letting him sit in mild terror for a moment, she launched into an abridged version of the events of Bespin and everything since, leaving out her family issues. She needed to talk with Luke about that first, and he was still busy talking with Oola. 

“Don’t worry,” Luke assured Oola as he led her to the ship, patting her hand. “I have some friends on Naboo, that’s on our way. My friend Sola Naberrie will make sure that you have the resources for anything you need, and will shelter you as long as necessary. She’s a wonderful woman.”

He had always felt a connection to Sola, and his parents always encouraged him to play with her daughter Ryoo. He never understood quite why, but he always liked spending time with her. She was one of the few people who had immunity from the Empire, so her home was the perfect place for Oola to get back on her feet. 

“Thank you, Luke,” she told him sincerely, smiling. She looked up at the sky, a breathless laugh bubbling up inside her. “I’ve waited a long time to be free.”

“And you’ll never be enslaved again,” he promised, squeezing her hand. He paused at the base of the ramp, wanting to say goodbye to Leia before they left. Luckily, Lando strolled up to them with a winning smile. He offered his arm to Oola with a little bow. 

“I can show you around the  _ Falcon _ , if you’d like,” he said, politely charming as usual. Oola blushed, smiling and setting her hand on his elbow. He walked her inside, and they chatted quietly to one another. Luke smiled as he watched them go, pleased that Oola had made another friend. Lando was perfect for the job. 

He walked over to Han and Leia, just in time to hear him sigh quietly, smiling at her. 

“Thanks for coming to get me, kid,” he told her, shaking her hand. There was respect and admiration in his gaze, a new appreciation for her skills. He had always known that she was too brave for her own good, as fierce as a womp rat, but it served her well. She had come a long way. 

“It was a team effort,” she replied with a smile, glancing at Luke as he walked up. “Leaving you behind was never an option.” 

He grinned, releasing her hand and stepping back. 

“I’ll see you back on base,” he called, walking back to the ship. Luke briefly squeezed his hand then released it. 

“I’ll be right there,” he told him, moving over to Leia. He hugged her again, and they stayed together for a long moment before stepping back. He looked at her with concern for a moment, his blue eyes searching hers. “Is everything okay? You seemed a little freaked out after we escaped.” 

She shrugged a bit, opening and closing her mouth helplessly for a moment. It was hard to explain exactly why, and they didn’t have the time right now. She took a breath, pressing her lips together. 

“It’s… a long story,” she admitted. “But I was just worried about you. Look, when we’re back on  _ Home One _ , we really need to talk.” 

Brief confusion flashed over Luke’s face, but he smiled, nodding. He always knew the perfect way to react to vague statements like that. She wasn’t sure if it was his natural empathy or a political skill. Perhaps both. 

“Okay,” he said easily. “If you want, we can even talk over the Force bond, but not for about another hour or so.” 

She frowned. “Why? What are you going to be doing?”

He grinned at her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Nothing you want to know about.” 

It took a moment before Leia realized what he meant. She grimaced and made a sound of disgust, stepping back. Artoo was already loaded into the X-Wing, so it was easy to hop inside. 

“See you soon!” He called, waving and hurrying towards the ship. 

She hopped inside the cockpit, shutting it quickly. Artoo chirped a greeting on her computer, much more cheerful that he was out of Jabba’s grasp. 

“You go ahead and fly,” she told him, pulling out a small tool kit. “I gotta fix my hand.” 

[Oh fuck yes,] he said eagerly, starting up the ship. She chuckled. Artoo could be a pilot all on his own, if they let him. 

  
  


Han was very insistent on getting the ship started beside Chewbacca. Luke was sure that he had missed the  _ Millenium Falcon _ just as much, if not more so, than all his friends. 

Luckily, it worked out well for everyone. Lando helped cut off the collars from Luke and Oola’s necks, which was a great relief. They both sighed, tenderly touching the painful skin. As Luke only had it on for a day or so, a ring of dark bruises wrapped around his throat. Oola’s neck was scarred from months, or even years, of abuse, but the look on her face when she could touch it again made the ache in Luke’s heart ease slightly. 

They both also found a change of clothes. Luke had a nice set of sky blue and light grey robes stored away, so it was easy enough. Lando was kind enough to stay in his guard’s uniform for a while longer. It was especially kind, because Luke knew that they shared the same love of fine clothing. However, Oola beamed in the purple suit. She was especially enamoured with the cape. It was wonderful to see her free from the mesh outfit that she had been forced to wear for so long. 

Lando and Oola remained at the table, eating and talking happily. Luke knew that there were still several hours before they reached Naboo, so he went to the cockpit to kidnap Han. 

“How is everything?” he asked, walking into the cockpit. He felt so much better now that he was back in his own clothes, and the loincloth was discarded. The bruises didn’t do much for his confidence, but that was fine. After all, he was a survivor. It was never easy, but he would get through it after some nightmares. He had done so before. 

Han smiled up at him, Chewie roaring an answer. It seemed that they were all set to be arriving in a few hours. 

“Wonderful, thank you,” he told them, squeezing Chewie’s shoulder. “Chewie, I’m sure you can handle it from here, right?” 

Chewbacca nodded in agreement, but Han looked slightly hurt. He opened his mouth to argue, but stopped at the sly smile across Luke’s face. A half grin crossed his face, and he stood, patting Chewie on the shoulder and walking out the cockpit with Luke. Chewie chuckled, clearly having a fair idea of what the prince was thinking. 

In the hallway, they walked hand-in-hand, Luke leaning against his shoulder. He slowly guided them to the captain’s suite, which had been carefully left alone out of respect for Han’s space. 

“So, do you remember what happened before you went into carbonite?” He asked slowly, raising his gaze to meet Han’s. He was prying for a correct answer, but it was a genuine worry of his that the carbonite messed with his mind. After all, it was a potential side effect, from what he had heard. 

For once, Han decided to avoid the sarcastic commentary for once. He nodded, looking down at Luke with warmth in his eyes. 

“You told me that you loved me,” he said. It wasn’t as smug as Luke had expected, but surprisingly, Han’s voice held a note of giddiness. It brought warmth to his heart. Han really liked him back. But, he still wanted to hear him say it. 

“And you said ‘I know’,” he reminded him expectantly. It had been lovely at the time, perfect, in fact. He figured that he knew the full answer, but he wanted to hear Han say it. 

Han stopped in the hallway, lifting a hand to cradle Luke’s cheek and look him in the eye. He appeared serious, but his eyes were soft and warm, filled with emotion. Luke set a hand on his waist, looking up at him fondly. 

“I love you, Luke,” Han said quietly, his voice hoarse with emotion. Luke smiled up at him, a small explosion of joy erupting in his chest. Han loved him. His face was full of a rare sincerity, the kind that Luke hardly ever saw from him but always loved. Han was so guarded, carefully keeping his more vulnerable side behind a sarcastic mask. This was wonderful, and Luke found himself leaning closer to him. They pressed for their foreheads together for a long moment, smiling and enjoying the sensation of being so close together. 

“You know,” Luke said quietly, opening his eyes to look at Han again. “This seems like the perfect time to kiss me.” 

Han smiled, running his thumb over Luke’s cheek. 

“A snobby prince once told me that nice men ask,” he said, his hazel eyes twinkling. 

Luke laughed, grinning broadly. He was so pleased that his little lecture had stuck with Han so well. 

“Consider permission granted,” he said, closing his eyes. 

When Han’s lips met his, Luke melted into the feeling, wrapping his arms around his shoulders to pull him as close as possible. He was on his toes, smiling into Han’s mouth. This kiss was a thousand times better than the one on Bespin. It was slow and sweet, not rushed or panicked with the threat of immediate danger. Adrenaline ran through his veins as he kissed him, warmth flooding his chest. 

He could have stayed there forever, but there was a bit more that he wanted to make up for, since they had lost so much time. He eventually pulled away, smiling up at Han lovingly. He slid his hands down to just below his collar, a considering look in his eyes. 

“So, we have two hours,” he reminded him, a hint of suggestion in his voice. He trailed his eyes down Han’s body before meeting his eyes again. “Is there anything else you’d like to do?” 

A grin spread across Han’s face. In a swift movement, he swept Luke off his feet, carrying him all the way towards the captain’s quarters. Luke laughed, wrapping his arms around Han’s neck. When the door shut behind them, it did not open again for quite some time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Han is back and getting laid. And a character who truly deserved better gets to live! I hope you enjoyed! (Also, anyone spot the Mara Jade cameo?) I hope this scene is what everyone wanted, I tried to make sure that I checked all the requested boxes. As always, comments are very much appreciated. 
> 
> Happy reading!


	3. What do you mean we have to solve the Death Star problem again??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia has to figure out a way to tell Luke about their family bullshit, but he's busy leading the mission on Endor. There's a lot of emotions involved.

Leia anxiously fiddled with the mechanics on her hand as Artoo flew them back to  _ Home One _ . She had packed everything that Ben left for her into the ship, knowing that it might be a long time before she was able to go back to Tatooine. 

With Han rescued, at least one of the goals that she had been working towards for the last six months was done. The next few on her list were slightly more difficult. 

She had promised Shmi that she would try to save Vader, or Anakin Skywalker, or whoever the fuck was actually beneath that mask. Shmi had explained a few things before she left Dagobah. She talked about what he was like as a child, with his insatiable desire to travel, his admiration of the Jedi way, his innate skill with mechanics, all just like Leia. He also helped complete strangers without thinking twice, which was apparently how he met a Jedi named Qui-Gon. That part had reminded Leia so much of Luke. That, combined with her knowledge that she looked more like her mother, had the unfortunate side effect of her picturing a young Anakin Skywalker with Luke’s blonde hair and blue eyes. She knew that she definitely couldn’t kill him if he reminded her of Luke. Trying to bring him back to the light was going to be her solution, even if it was a horrendously stupid idea. 

She hissed as she hit the wrong wire in her hand, a sting of pain going through the phantom limb. Biting her lip, she refocused on the wires, carefully realigning them. 

How the hell was she going to explain this to Luke? They hadn’t discussed her exact plan to take down Vader, but she figured that he expected her to kill them. Most of the Rebellion leaders allowed her to train on her own for so long because they knew that only a Jedi stood a chance against Vader. What would he think when she told him that she didn’t want to kill him? That she wanted to save the man that had tortured him? 

Worse, how was she going to explain to him that the man of his nightmares wasn’t just her flesh and blood, but his too? 

It would crush Luke to find out, just as it had crushed her. He had been supportive of her from the very beginning of finding out the truth, had comforted her, but there was a difference between helping your friend and realizing that the blood of a monster was inside you too. She bit her lip as she finished with her hand, immediately starting to undo her braid instead. Sitting still would only make her more anxious. There was no good answer.

Maybe it would be easiest to just say it quickly and hope that it didn’t hurt too much. Oh, that would go great.  _ Hey Luke, your birth father is the man who tortured you twice, but good news, we’re twins!  _ Yeah right. 

She couldn’t avoid telling him for much longer, so she might as well try to get that ugly conversation over with. It wasn’t something that she could do over the Force bond; it had to be face-to-face. When they got back to base, she would pull him aside as soon as she could to talk to him about it. 

Unfortunately, as soon as they both arrived, Luke was immediately swarmed by Rebellion leaders, led away from the docking bay in deep discussion with General Madine. Leia started towards him, but stopped. Her shoulders slumped slightly. She would have to catch him later; he was too busy with preparing the attack that he couldn’t tell her about. 

“It feels like I just got him back, and now he’s gone again,” Han commented wistfully, coming up beside her. 

“Yeah,” she said quietly, watching Luke’s blonde head disappear into a hallway. She shook her head, turning back to Han. He crossed his arms, watching Luke go with a fond look in his eyes. Leia eyed him for a moment. His hair was mussed, half of it scrunched up to one side. She could guess what caused it. The thought was vaguely horrifying. “How are you feeling? And don’t you dare mention anything other than the carbon freeze.” 

Han chuckled. He ran a hand through his hair, a grin tugging at one side of his mouth.

“I feel  _ much _ better now,” he said smugly. She rolled her eyes. “I can see again, so there’s that.” 

“And here I was hoping to take a free shot at you while you couldn’t see me coming,” she replied drily, punching him lightly on the shoulder. Luke had been perfectly composed when he left the ship, so Han definitely did this on purpose. She would have added more commentary, but a familiar face emerged from the rapidly dissipating crowd. She grinned, stepping forward to greet her favorite pilot. 

“Hey Wedge,” she said warmly. She had missed her old friend. He wrapped her in a bear hug, half-lifting her off her feet as he laughed. Leia hit him in the shoulder, but she was grinning. He was one of the few people who could get away with this. “Alright, put me down!” 

“Good to see you, Boss,” he said, putting her down and saluting. Leia grinned. She liked that he called her boss, even though she hadn’t been with the Rogue Squadron much in the past few months. “General Organa asked me to take Han to the hospital.” 

Han looked beyond offended by the suggestion. 

“I’m fine!” He protested. “I don’t need to go to the damned–” 

Leia smacked him in the shoulder again to shut him up. 

“You spent six months frozen in carbonite, nerf herder,” she reminded him. “Go to the hospital.” When he opened his mouth to protest again, she added, “If you don’t, I guarantee Luke will give you the silent treatment for a week.” 

A glint of nervousness passed through Han’s gaze, although he quickly tried to hide it with a scoff. He would never admit that the prince’s methods of disapproval could get to him so easily. He threw up his hands, pretending to relent. 

“Fine,” he growled. He followed Wedge, pointing a finger at him irritably, “But this had better not keep me long.” Wedge chuckled, turning back to Leia. 

“Commander, Luke said that you should meet him in his quarters,” he called. “He’ll be busy with meetings, but he might have a moment to talk.”

Leia sighed. That wasn’t encouraging. She knew that Luke was trying to balance both his responsibilities as a General and being there for his friends, but he had to put the Rebellion first right now. He had spent so long planning the rescue of Han. Now he had to put his full focus on his Rebellion. 

She gathered her things from the X-Wing, throwing the bag over her shoulder and carrying Ben’s box in front of her. Artoo rolled behind her, beeping cheerfully. It had been a long time since Leia had been on this particular base. Most people were so busy that they brushed right by her, buzzing with energy. Many different representatives had gathered; she noted high-ranking members of Rebel Intelligence, the strategic committee, and the Mon Calamari military leaders. Even the pilot who destroyed the Death Star was just another member of the Rebel Alliance in this group. 

As she expected, Luke wasn’t in his quarters when she got back. Still, it was disappointing. Leia sent Artoo away to get cleaned up and charged. The sand of Tatooine was hell on his parts, and she could only do so much. Besides, she had a sinking feeling that they wouldn’t be on the base for long. In preparation of that, she didn’t unpack very much.

She showered quickly, unsure of how much time she had but desperate to get the layer of dust off of her. When she finished, she got dressed and started on her hair. Despite the braid, it was ratty and tangled, absolutely a bitch to comb out. She fought through it, grimacing at how much hair got stuck in the brush. When she finally finished combing it out, it fell in a long dark curtain, neater then it had been in ages. She slowly braided it straight down her back, as she had been doing to keep it out of the way. As she worked, she looked at herself in the mirror. Ben’s hut didn’t have one, so it had been quite some time since she had seen her reflection. It was a different face from the one that she had grown up with. That girl was young and excited for adventure, looking to the stars and dreaming of excitement. There were always little crows feet curled at the corners of her eyes, from fierceness or excitement or smiling. Those were gone now. 

A sting of sadness struck her in the chest, and she turned away as soon as she finished the braid, tying it off and walking out into Luke’s room. Her things were somewhat scattered across his bed, but they wouldn’t be here too long for him to admonish her for it. 

Her eyes landed on the book that Ben left for her. He had mentioned that all Padawans kept their hair short, with only a small braid to remind them of their progress. Once they graduated to become Jedi Knights, they used their lightsabers to cut off the braids. If Leia had enough forewarning to make herself a Padawan braid, she would technically cut it off after she confronted Vader, since that was the moment that Yoda told her would lead to her becoming a Jedi Knight. 

But that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to make a promise to herself that she would try to bring Vader back, or die trying. She wanted to keep a constant reminder that she would only become a Jedi Knight, not turn to the dark side. 

Taking a deep breath, she unhooked her lightsaber from her belt, pulling the braid taut. The lightsaber was hot so close to her face, but she ignored it. Carefully, she placed the laser beneath the neat braid, and yanked it up. The braid fell loose into her other hand, coiling around her wrist like a snake. The loose strands fluttered around her face, cut short in the back and slightly longer in the front. She worked quick on amending that, trimming it shorter and shorter until it didn’t have a chance of getting in her eyes. The end result was still slightly longer in the front, but she found that she didn’t particularly mind. All her life, she just cared about being able to get her hair out of the way, whether it was in a braid or a ponytail or just short. 

The comlink beeped, ordering her to the war room. She grimaced at the state of the floor. Small strands of brown hair ended up everywhere. She also set aside her long braid on a side table, which should be a fun discovery for Luke when he came back. She clipped her lightsaber back to her belt, hurrying out of the room. The mess was a later problem. 

The war room was busy and crowded, filled with members from all branches of the Rebellion. A patch of orange in the shape of the fighter pilots in one corner, camouflage green of ground troops in another, hooded Bothan spies sitting together quietly. Han, Lando, and Chewie sat in the front row. Leia hurried in afterwards, and Han ruffled her newly trimmed hair as she shoved him over to make room. The High Command gathered below Admiral Ackbar’s viewport. Mon, graceful and stern in her white robes, conferred with Koth Melan while Luke and Madine spoke off to the side, finalizing their plans. 

“You’re the best equipped to lead this mission, General Organa,” General Madine was telling Luke. He looked him in the eye, a small smile touching at the corners of his mouth. “When your team takes the shield generator out, we’ll take care of the rest.”

“Thank you, General,” Luke replied, his voice even and warm. Mon had quietly told him that Madine defended his abilities to a few others in the time that he was gone. It had been a quick turnaround in the past few months, but he was glad to be able to call him a friend. He offered Madine his hand. “We won’t let you down.” 

Madine shook his hand firmly, confidence in his expression. “I know.” 

A quiet chime sounded, and they took their places a few steps behind Mon. Luke took a deep breath. As this was a battle meeting, perhaps the final one before they went on their mission, he had opted to wear a dark brown uniform with a collar high enough to hide the bruises on his throat and an olive green cape that once belonged to his father. He wouldn’t be caught dead in the official Alliance uniform, but this particular outfit blended in slightly better with them. Standing here, looking out at the soldiers that he had worked with for years, he felt like a general. 

The room darkened slightly, and the crowd went quiet, their side chatter fading away. All of their attention went to Mon, who stepped forward. She wasn’t particularly loud, but her voice was clear and heard by everyone. 

“The Emperor has made a critical error and the time for our attack has come,” she said simply. Nobody spoke, not wanting to interrupt, but a buzz of energy went through the room. Leia sat up straight, watching her intently. 

Luke stepped forward, raising his chin. There was a quiver of anxiety in his chest, but he didn’t let it show. When he spoke, he sounded serious and self-assured. Mon allowed him to take the lead on this part of the discussion, as it had been his spies that found this information. 

“The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor’s new battle station,” he said. He pressed a button on the central table, a green hologram of the planet Endor lighting up. A red moon, deceptively small, circled it. “They have built another Death Star.” 

Worry broke out across the faces of the people gathered. Even Han frowned, looking concerned. There was one smile in the room, and that was on Leia’s face. A spark of excitement lit in her eyes. Luke raised a hand to stop any chatter before it began.

“We also know that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet operational,” he said, hoping to calm them down slightly. “With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected.” He paused, taking a breath. “But most important of all, we’ve learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of this Death Star.”

Any remaining worry in the crowd was wiped away by excitement. Even Mon’s eyes shined with anticipation. Killing the Emperor was the best way to end their war, and the Empire, once and for all. It was the opportunity that they had been waiting for, the perfect chance to strike. 

“Many Bothans died to bring us this information,” Luke added, his voice solemn. It wasn’t part of his original script, but he nodded to Koth Melan, who was sitting with the rest of his people. They had given a lot, and he wanted to recognize that here, before everyone. His words sobered the crowd slightly. “Thank you.”

“Admiral Ackbar, please,” Mon said. Luke stepped aside, moving beside her so the Admiral could stand center-stage before the group. 

“You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest Moon of Endor,” he began, gesturing to the hologram. It reflected his words as he spoke, showing the plan as well as explaining it. “Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield, which is generated from the nearby forest Moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor.”

The red Death Star fizzed away in a mimed explosion, and the lighting of the room returned to full brightness. Admiral Ackbar gestured to Lando. 

“General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack.” Lando nodded to them, and Luke smiled slightly at him. There were quiet murmurs that Luke couldn’t quite catch before Ackbar turned to the next speaker. “General Madine.”

Madine moved forward, and Luke drifted behind him, a few steps behind his shoulder. 

“We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle,” he explained. “Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator.” 

Worried murmurs went through the crowd, likely speculating who would be suspected for such a dangerous mission. Han looked mildly insulted, as if stunned that it wasn’t him. Ignoring everyone else, Madine turned to Luke with a respectful nod, and he moved slightly forward to stand beside him. 

“General Organa will be leading this mission,” he announced. 

“We’ve assembled a strike team,” Luke added. He looked over where his friends sat, raising an eyebrow. “All that’s left is to find a command crew for the shuttle.”

Chewie roared a volunteer first, making Luke grin widely. It didn’t quite fit the serious Rebellion general look that he had been going for, but that was fine. Based on the expressions on Han and Leia’s faces, his friends were going to have his back for this mission. He gave them a warm look, turning to Madine. 

“We’ll be ready to go within the hour, General,” he told him, nodding. 

“Everyone knows their duties,” Mon said, stepping forward again. The excited talking quieted slightly to hear her. “This is the greatest opportunity we have ever had. May the Force be with us.” 

She nodded one last time, silently dismissing everyone. Luke moved to see his friends, grateful that they were so willing to leap onto his plan. He left the command crew open, hoping that they would join him, but didn’t want to pressure them. 

“Thank you all for coming,” he said as he approached them, happy that the crowd was thinning out so he was just with his team. 

“We’re always with you, Luke,” Leia told him, smiling. There was something uneasy in her expression, but his attention was pulled away from that by Han. 

“You’re not leaving my sight for the next year, your worship,” Han told him teasingly, throwing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. A year ago, Luke would’ve rolled his eyes, but he just smiled up at him, happy content in his chest. It was wonderful to have him back. 

“Yes he is,” Leia interrupted, taking Luke’s hand and pulling him away from Han. Han shot her a glare, betrayed. “You heard him, we’re leaving soon, so go get ready.” 

With that, she turned around, pulling Luke behind her down the halls. He shot Han an apologetic smile, but followed along. There was no stopping Leia when she was set on something like this, and she had mentioned wanting to talk to him. 

He could feel anticipation boiling in her mind through their bond, but he didn’t know the full extent of the plans and anxiety racing through her mind. She was already wondering if she should wait to tell him the truth, since he had a mission to be worried about. Worries about his family would just make it more difficult to focus on the mission. 

Beyond that, Leia was already brewing a plan to find Vader and try to turn him. This shuttle could get her into Imperial territory, which was her greatest opportunity to confront him. Once she helped Luke with his plan, she could finish her own mission. Her fingers lightly tapped the lightsaber at her waist as she schemed. 

“Why do you smell like burned hair?” He asked, frowning. He moved a bit faster, walking alongside her. He touched one of the longer strands with his free hand. “Did you cut this with your lightsaber or something?” 

Leia’s silence was answer enough. She grinned sheepishly, running a hand through her short hair. Nobody would make any rude comments about her hair; she inspired far too much fear for anyone to tease her about it, even if it was a bit uneven. Luke rather liked the short, fluffy look, but he couldn’t believe she had actually cut it with a lightsaber. 

“Leia, that cannot be good for your hair,” he said exasperatedly, shaking his head. 

“It’s fine!” She protested. She knew they had very different views on this. Luke had grown up as a prince, and kept the stringent regime that came with it. Where she grew up, it was usually considered good enough to just wash the dirt out of your hair every once in a while. 

He shook his head. Then he moved ahead to drag her back into his quarters, closing the door. He had already packed a bit, so they had a few minutes for him to find something to help with Leia’s hair. 

“I’ll try to do some damage control,” he said, turning to find his hair supplies. He stopped, staring at the floor. Hair was positively everywhere, short strands scattered across the floor and a long braid tossed aside on a table. He gave her a withering look. “Thanks for cleaning up.” 

“I got called to the war room right after I finished!” She said defensively. 

“Mhmm.” He didn’t seem convinced. He opened a drawer, rummaging through myriad hair products before selecting one. “Use this. It’ll take care of the smell and hopefully the burnt ends.”

He gestured for her to come over, squeezing a bit out into his hand so he could work it into her hair. Since it was so short, it wouldn’t take long. Leia took a deep breath. The product smelled faintly sweet, and she liked it immediately. Stronger scents always made her sneeze, as Luke had discovered the last time that he tried to introduce her to his beauty products. 

“What’s the smell?” She asked. 

“Shuura fruit,” he said, finishing with the product and ruffling her hair. It looked rather cute like that, he thought. “It’s from Naboo, I think. You’re all done, so get packed.” 

She went straight to her bag, which she had already dumped out on the bed. It made it easier to repack everything that she would need for the trip. The green lightsaber that Ben had kept had landed on top of the pile. She picked it up, weighing it in her hand for a moment. On impulse, she offered it to Luke. 

“It’s going to be a dangerous mission,” she said abruptly. “You might need an extra weapon.” 

Luke frowned, taking it. He studied the hilt, brushing a finger lightly over the red button before pressing it. The beam hissed as it activated, illuminating their faces in green light. As Leia watched him wave it experimentally, her heart squeezed. The green lightsaber looked so right in his hand. She could already see him as a Jedi, wielding a lightsaber of his own. 

“Where did you get this?” He asked, deactivating it. 

“Ben left it for me,” she said. He hadn’t told her anything about it, but Shmi had offered the little information that she knew about the man who originally wielded it. “It belonged to a Jedi named Qui-Gon Jinn, the man who brought my father to the Jedi Order. Apparently he saw a lot of potential in him.” 

Shmi didn’t know what happened to Qui-Gon, but apparently he had been important enough to Ben for him to keep it. Leia figured that it could help keep her brother safe. She also wanted Luke to have a lightsaber, since he was as deserving of the Jedi legacy as she was. Besides, if she didn’t come back, someone else needed to carry on the ways of the Jedi. 

Luke raised his eyebrows, letting out a slow breath. He looked a little uneasy at the lightsaber’s history. After all, Qui-Gon had clearly been dead wrong about Darth Vader. 

“I’m not a Jedi,” he reminded her, moving to offer it back. 

“You’re close enough.” She pushed it back towards him, looking him in the eye. “It’ll help keep you safe. Just bring it along.” 

She would feel better leaving the mission to confront Vader if he had a way of protecting himself. Luke looked at her for a long moment, reading the stubbornness and worry in her eyes. She had been borderline panicking over what happened to him on Tatooine, so he would keep a little extra protection with him if it made her feel better. 

“Okay,” he agreed quietly. He put the lightsaber in his bag, a touch of hesitation in the movement. He handed her a camouflage uniform, shaking out his own. He didn’t speak for a moment as they got organized, clearly waiting for her to say something else. Leia didn’t oblige, steadily focused on pulling the poncho over her head. After a few minutes, he nudged her shoulder. “So, what else is bothering you?” 

Damn him for being able to read her so well. Their Force bond was so useful, but she wasn’t used to her inner anxieties bleeding out so easily. She sighed, buckling the belt around her waist. She seemed to struggle with words for a moment, trying to buy herself time by looking down and messing with her bag. Eventually she looked at him, biting her lip. He saw the decision in her mind, even if he didn’t realize what it was about.

“What do you know about your mother?” She asked quietly, looking up at him. “Your birth mother, I mean.” 

She knew that he had been adopted by the Organa family, but he never even mentioned a curiosity about his birth parents. Nobody had ever told her anything about her mother. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru didn’t know who she was, and Ben didn’t offer any help. The only thing that she had known was that her mother was a queen. If Luke knew anything, perhaps it would help her learn a little more. Besides, it saved her from having to admit that they were siblings just yet. 

Luke seemed surprised by the question. He was quiet for a moment, picking up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He never asked about his birth parents. He only asked why his family had chosen him to take home. 

“Not much,” he admitted. “My father knew her. He said that she was brave and clever, and the most compassionate person that he ever met. When she died, he took me in.” 

Leia listened carefully, committing his words to memory. Then the bitter taste of jealousy made her turn away, heading for the door. She bit her lip. She understood why they had been separated, but she wished that she had been able to learn about her mother too, to have some kind of memory to draw upon. All she knew was a spice running father, and even that turned out to be a lie. 

Luke caught up to her quickly, laying a hand on her shoulder to slow her down. She could feel the worry emanating from him, just as he could probably feel the jumble of unhappy emotions knotted in her chest. 

“Hey, is this about your parents?” He asked quietly. 

There was her opportunity, right there. She could tell him about their shared heritage on the way to the stolen ship. She looked at him for a beat, into the open honesty of his eyes, the gentle understanding of his expression. She couldn’t do it. 

“Yeah,” she said, turning back forward. They walked down the hallway side by side. “I don’t remember my mother at all. I hoped that she would help me understand why my father ended up… you know.” 

Not yet. She just had to wait until the mission was taken care of, and then she could handle it. She couldn’t break Luke’s heart like this, not yet. He was so disgustingly understanding. He really was their mother. 

“Look, Leia, once all this is over, we’ll find her,” Luke promised, squeezing her hand gently. “We’ll figure out everything, but we just have to finish with the Empire first.” 

“And I have to finish with Vader,” she said, staring ahead with deadly intention in her eyes. She would take care of that problem, one way or another. After that, she would be a fully realized Jedi Knight, and they would have enough time for her to explain everything to Luke. 

Luke paused, looking at her. She said that as if she was planning on doing it right away. 

“What are you planning?” He asked. 

Leia turned, looking at him steadily. “Once we’re on Endor, I’m going to find Vader and confront him.” 

Worry crossed his face. This was what she had been preparing for during the past six months, but it was still dangerous. All he could think about was the way that she looked after they saved her on Bespin. He had never seen her so terrified, with dried blood running down the side of her face, a missing hand, and a broken look in her eyes. He never wanted to see that again. She had been fearless on Tatooine, but Vader was a million times worse than some gangster. Would she survive? Or would her worst fear be realized, and Vader would get the better of her? 

Leia sighed at the long silence. She could almost hear his anxious thoughts running a million parsecs an hour, based on the clouded look in his eyes. They emerged into the hangar, and she pulled him aside, out of the way of everyone preparing for their battle. 

“I have to,” she told him, looking him in the eye. She gestured to the crowd around them, filled with people who were ready to sacrifice everything to defeat the Empire. “All of this is pointless if I don’t face him.” 

Luke looked around. Wedge was preparing his X-Wing, Han and Lando were talking by the  _ Falcon _ , all trying to defeat a superweapon by blowing it apart. That hadn’t stopped Vader the first time, he knew. There was no reason to think that he wouldn’t survive it again, so he understood why Leia felt the need to handle it personally. 

“You don’t have to remind me, Leia,” he told her, crossing his arms. There was a gentle look in his eyes as he spoke. “I know you’re powerful, but I also know him. That lightsaber can’t solve everything.” 

“I’m going to be a Jedi, I have to do this.” 

“This isn’t just about being a Jedi,” Luke said, shaking his head. He narrowed his eyes, stepping closer and studying her face carefully. Stars, he knew her too well. “Why else are you going to confront him?” 

Leia took a breath. She had been careful not to say whether she was going to kill Vader or try to turn him back, since she wasn’t sure which she would be able to accomplish. She also didn’t know how Luke would react to her trying to save the man who tortured him, but she had to be honest. 

“I went to Dagobah,” she said, looking him in the eye unflinchingly. “I think I found another solution. I’m going to try to turn Vader back to the light.” 

Luke stared at her for a long moment, his mouth dropped open. She could practically see the gears spinning in his head as he struggled to make sense of her words. She wanted to look away, embarrassed by her own hope of saving her father, but she stood firm. If she could convince Vader back to the light, it would be proof that one could return from the dark side. It would mean that she wasn’t doomed. 

“Leia, what makes you think this will work?” He eventually asked. “Look at what he’s done to you, to us.” He took her hand, which was still covered by a glove since her synthflesh had been burned off. “I’m so proud of you for being a Jedi, for trying to solve things with peace. It’s amazing, but I don’t think that you can fix someone like him.” 

He shivered. All that he felt from Vader was darkness, because it was all that had ever been directed at him. Leia sometimes had her angrier moments, but that was nothing compared to the overwhelming cold that he felt from him. 

“But I have to,” Leia said immediately, looking at him desperately. “I told you, he’s just like me.” Luke opened his mouth to protest, and she held up a hand to stop him. “Luke, if I can turn him back, I’ll know that I’d be able to turn back. And–” She paused, finally glancing down. “And he’s my father. I can’t– I shouldn’t give up on him.”

It abruptly hit her that she actually wanted that. She wanted to bring her father back to the light, wanted to prove that turning to the dark side wasn’t always permanent. She wanted to be able to hold onto that vision of her father as a hero, the Jedi who had died protecting children. Shmi had claimed that Anakin Skywalker was still in there somewhere, and as much as she denied it, Leia desperately wanted to believe it. She had to bring him back. 

Luke let out a slow breath, looking at her sadly. He could feel her hope burning through their bond, and he couldn’t help but feel sympathy. He would do anything to get his father back. Leia seemed to believe she could do this. All he could do was trust her. 

He rested a hand on her cheek, tilting her face to look back up at him. Leia Skywalker was going to try to do the impossible, as she always did. He would worry, as he always did. 

“I understand,” he said quietly. He pulled her into a tight hug, closing his eyes. She sighed, pressing her face against his shoulder. “Just come home.” 

Leia didn’t reply. She couldn’t promise Luke that she would come home, so she just hugged him tightly, grateful that he trusted her to make her own choices. Dealing with her had to be exhausting, but he never said it. 

They headed over to the stolen Imperial Shuttle, where Chewie was already in the front seat. The attack team was sitting in the hold, nodding to their commanders as they passed by. Threepio and Artoo were freshly fixed up and ready for the new mission. Leia patted Artoo’s dome as she passed by, dropping into the seat beside Chewie. She had always wanted to fly one of these things. 

“Move it, short stuff,” Han said from behind her, poking her on the shoulder. “Chewie and I are piloting.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him, grumpily relinquishing the pilot’s seat. This was definitely his revenge for her taking away Luke earlier. Luke chuckled, probably thinking the exact same thing. He sat just behind Han, reaching forward to rest a hand on his shoulder. Chewie grumbled a complaint. 

“Yeah, well I don’t think the Empire had Wookies in mind when they designed her, Chewie,” Han answered as he began pressing buttons to get the ship prepared to leave. After a moment, he paused, staring at the  _ Millenium Falcon _ through the viewport, a wistful sadness on his face. Luke sensed his change in mood, and leaned forward. 

“You okay?” He asked softly, squeezing his shoulder gently. 

“Yeah.” Han didn’t sound particularly convincing. “I just got a funny feeling, like I’m not gonna see her again.” 

Chewie gave a mournful cry, clearly in agreement. Luke didn’t say anything to reassure them. How could he? None of them knew if they were ever coming back. Instead, he kissed Han quickly on the temple and sat back. 

“Let’s move, Commander,” he told him quietly. 

“Right,” Han agreed, shaking his head. “Chewie, let’s see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?” 

There was a chorus of affirmations, somewhere between nervous and determined. They were accustomed to high stakes, aside from Threepio, but this was perhaps one of the biggest missions yet. 

They took off, Han and Chewie guiding them expertly into lightspeed. It was a relatively short trip from Sullist to Endor, so they didn’t even have much time for conversation before arriving. Luke had known about all of this, had helped gather the intelligence, but even he was stunned at the sight of another Death Star, surrounded by a mass of Star Destroyers. The Death Star almost looked skeletal in its construction, but no less menacing. 

“Holy shit,” Leia breathed. 

“If they don’t go for this, we’re gonna have to get out of here pretty quick, Chewie,” Han warned, his eyes scanning over the army. Chewie roared an agreement. 

They all went quiet shortly afterwards when the radio hissed, signaling that the Star Destroyers had spotted them. A voice came cracking over the transmission. 

“We have you on our screen now. Please identify,” a man said in a monotone. 

Since Han had been a former member of the Imperials, he was the one to learn forward to answer. He knew how to talk like an Imperial soldier. 

“Shuttle Tydirium requesting deactivation of the deflector shield,” he said, the serious calm of his voice not reflecting the cautious look on his face. 

There was a beat of silence as the controller verified their ship, then, “Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage.”

“Transmission commencing,” Han replied, just a hint of tension in his voice. He glanced back at them before pressing a button on the dashboard. 

The console whirred as he transmitted the code that they had stolen. Luke stared at it, anxiety in his chest. He trusted his spies, but he knew how deadly the Empire could be. They had paid a high price for this code, and he was about to find out whether it was worth it. Han nodded to him, a reassuring look in his eyes. 

“It’ll work,” he said, almost sounding as if he was trying to convince himself.

They soared closer to the command ship, everyone waiting in tense silence. As they moved closer, anxiety suddenly overcame Luke, his heart pounding. At the same time, goosebumps rose across Leia’s skin. Their heads snapped up at once, staring at the Star Destroyer ahead of them with wide eyes. 

“Vader,” they said, in perfect unison. 

They could both feel his presence, cold and menacing. Luke’s old injuries ached, his wrists and throat flaring with the phantom pain of his past experiences with the man. Leia felt the familiar sensation of anger that matched her own. They both shivered, glancing at one another worriedly. 

Everyone else in the cockpit stared at them, the transmission code completely forgotten. Han looked like he wanted to protest that they were just being paranoid, but they had spoken at the same time and it clearly wasn’t planned. Luke looked horrified and Leia nauseous. Chewie groaned. 

[That is the creepiest fucking thing that you two have ever done,] Artoo announced. [And that’s a long ass list.] 

Artoo had the most experience with their Force bond, had witnessed Leia talking to a seemingly empty room as she spoke to Luke while he was on  _ Home One _ . Han had his fair share as well, witnessing Leia wake up seconds before Luke cried out from a nightmare while on their missions. Chewie had seen them agree on a strategy with merely a glance. Everyone knew bits and pieces of their strange connection, but this was a new level of weird. Before anyone else could ask questions, the radio hissed again, this time a new voice speaking. 

“Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?” 

“Fuck,” Leia hissed, standing.

“Shut up!” Han snapped, then turned to the radio, attempting to sound bored. “Parts and technical crew for the forest moon.”

There was a long, tense silence from the comlink. 

“Keep your distance, Chewie, but don’t look like you’re trying to keep your distance,” Han said, his voice betraying a hint of anxiety. He looked as if he was ready to take the ship out of there as soon as the situation turned bad. 

Chewie barked a skeptical question at the ridiculously confusing instructions. 

“I don’t know, fly casual!” He replied, throwing his hands up. 

They waited for a few more minutes, Han and Chewbacca getting more antsy with each moment of silence. Luke desperately tried to keep a lid on his panic, struggling not to let it show. If they failed here, the entire attack could be doomed. 

“They’re not goin’ for it, Chewie,” Han muttered. Chewie groaned in agreement. Only seconds later, the comlink whirred to life. They all expectantly waited for a suspicious response. 

“Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately,” the controller said, sounding strangely more alert. “Follow your present course.”

Smug confidence immediately covered Han’s face, likely as a mask for his relief. He shot Luke a grin. 

“I told you it was going to work,” he said cheerfully. “No problem.” 

Luke and Leia shared a worried glance as Han and Chewie guided the ship down to the surface. They weren’t prepared to talk about their concerns, but they knew that if they could feel Vader, he had likely sensed them. It didn’t bode well for the start of the mission. However, they had made it inside the shield. All that was left to do was continue with their plan. 

They landed a safe distance away from the shield generator, finding a small clearing in the forest. Leia wanted to find a time to talk to Luke, but he was too busy leading the troops. Since he worked with spies most of the time, he rarely led missions like this, so he was completely focused. Han, who adamantly denied being worried, was two inches behind him at all times. 

Luke and Han spotted something over a ridge at the same time. Luke’s first instinct was to turn and gesture for the rest of the troops to hide, while Han immediately grabbed his hips to pull him to the ground. Leia and Chewie glanced at one another, then crawled up beside them. 

“Han,” Luke said quietly. 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m already laying down, you can move your hand now.” 

Han grinned, although there was no shame in his expression as he took his hand off Luke’s butt. 

There were two scout troopers milling around at the bottom of the hill, with speeder bikes parked nearby. It wasn’t many, but they needed to avoid all Imperial entanglements to avoid suspicion. All it took was one of them being spotted to ruin everything. 

“Should we try and go around?” Leia whispered, glancing at Luke. He bit his lip, frowning at the troopers. 

“It’ll take time,” he said quietly. “And everything is ruined if they get word back to the base.” 

There was a moment of silence as they considered their options. Luke silently went through all his options, carefully calculating which idea would be least likely to lead to failure. He scanned the ridge, calculating the best route to avoid the stormtroopers without being seen– 

“Chewie and I will take care of this,” Han said, interrupting his thoughts. Luke stared at him, opening his mouth to protest. Han pointed at him, a protective sternness in his eyes. “You stay here.” 

“Quietly,” Luke hissed. There was clearly no denying Han’s stubbornness and his obvious protectiveness over the man he loved, so this was going to happen, no matter how unplanned or stupid it was. “There might be more of them out there.” 

“Hey,” he replied, a cocky grin spreading across his face. “It’s me.” 

With that, he winked at Luke and snuck away, Chewie shortly behind him. Luke and Leia shared a rueful smile, although she rolled her eyes. 

“He’s an idiot,” she told him quietly. 

“I know,” he said, affection in his voice. He smiled at Han’s back as he made his way down the hill. Stars, her brother really was in love. 

They watched Han as he snuck down the hill. He and Chewie moved through the underbrush quietly, eventually hiding behind a tree. Han gestured for him to go around, stepping right behind the scout trooper and directly on a branch. The Emperor himself probably heard the snap of that branch all the way from the Death Star. 

Han glanced down, surprised at the snap of the branch, which gave the scout trooper the moment he needed to punch him. Han fell back against the giant tree, his blaster shot hitting nothing helpful. 

“Go for help, go!” The trooper yelled, gesturing for his companion to leave. The other trooper ran for his speeder bike. 

Leia made a sound of frustration, rolling her eyes. He really was an idiot if he couldn’t handle one scout trooper. 

“Great,” she muttered, sarcasm dripping from her tone. She pulled Luke to his feet, running to intercept the scout trooper before he got away. “Come on!” 

Luke paused, turning to the rest of their crew. “Stay hidden, we’ll be back soon.” 

Luckily, while Han fought the first scout trooper, Chewie took down the other in a single shot of his bowcaster. The speeder bike crashed, and the man fell down dead. 

Luke hurried to catch up with Leia, who was almost completely down the hill. He nearly ran into her when she stopped short, pointing to the side. Two more scout troopers were on their speeder bikes, almost ready to take off. The unused speeder bike of the first stormtrooper was beside them. 

“Over there, two more of them!” She yelled, bolting over to the unused bike. The scout troopers took off into the forest. 

“I see them, wait—  _ Leia _ !” She was already halfway on a speeder bike, preparing it to go. 

He leapt on behind her, barely making it on in time. She took off and he nearly fell back down, having to cling to her waist to stay on. He could hear Han yelling behind them, but the wind in his ears snatched the words away before he could hear them. He just focused on clinging to Leia. She was so impulsive sometimes, it drove him mad. 

“Way to keep up,” she told him, and he could hear the laughter in her voice. 

She hit the center switch to jam their comlinks, a spark in her eyes. It had been too much sneaking around, so she was thrilled for the chance to actually fight. It helped that she really loved speeder bikes. The forest provided an extra challenge as she wove through the trees, intently focused on catching up to the other speeder bikes. 

“Get alongside it,” Luke suggested, holding onto her shoulders and trying to stand. The speeder bike wobbled unsteadily beneath him. It got even worse when Leia pulled up beside the scout trooper, and he turned, slamming the bike into theirs. 

Leia made a sound of frustration. Luke took a breath, waiting as they crashed into one another. He clung to Leia tightly to stay on his feet. As the stormtrooper pulled away for another hit, he bent his knees, focusing on the seat right behind him. Right before the bikes crashed, he jumped. He didn’t aim perfectly, instead crashing directly into the scout trooper. Luckily, he knocked him right off the bike, grabbing onto the controls to steady himself. 

She grinned at him as they drove alongside one another, following the last scout trooper. With the two of them going after the one, they were sure to get it done. 

Then laser fire came from behind them, making her curse. A quick glance back showed two more Imperial scouts following behind them on speeder bikes. She unhooked her lightsaber from her belt, not activating it yet. 

“Take care of him!” She yelled to Luke. “I’ll take these two.” 

With that, she used one hand to hit the brakes on her speeder and the other to activate her lightsaber, holding it straight out to the side. Her momentum brought her sharply back between the two speeder bikes, and she didn’t even need to move for her lightsaber to neatly separate a scout’s head from his shoulders. With the driver dead, the speeder bike quickly crashed into a tree and exploded. 

Leia easily swerved to the side to avoid the explosion, pressing the handles forward to go after the second one. The second scout trooper figured out that he would need to avoid her, so he quickly dove into turns and zigzags. More importantly, he stopped following Luke, so her brother would only have to worry about the first one. She kept the white uniform in her sights, swerving off into the forest to follow him. 

It was easy to catch up to him, but he knew well enough to keep his distance from her and her lightsaber, even if she had deactivated it. Instead, he wove through the forest from a distance, pulling out a gun and laying it across the handles to fire at her. 

She tried to dodge, but he was a good shot. After a few tries, he struck her engine. The bike rattled violently. Leia knew a hopeless situation when she saw it. She gave up on the bike and jumped straight up, executing an easy backflip to land lightly on her feet. 

Her speeder bike exploded seconds after she landed. The scout trooper immediately circled back. 

Leia stood to face him, activating her lightsaber. She didn’t flinch as he fired at her, deflecting the blasts with a thoughtless ease. As he approached, she brought down her lightsaber with all her strength, slicing off the front of the speeder bike. It fell to the ground before her, and without the stabilization, his blaster bike spun uselessly and exploded into flames. 

Satisfaction filled her expression, and she deactivated the lightsaber, hooking it back to her belt. With that taken care of, she decided to head back to their team to meet up with Luke. It would be way easier than searching the entire forest.

  
  


Luke was having trouble of his own. He wasn’t nearly the pilot that Leia was, even on speeder bikes. He was able to pull alongside him, trying to drive him off course by crashing his bike against his, just as the last scout trooper had done. Unfortunately, this one only shoved back against him with equal force. 

Luke grit his teeth, crashing against the other speeder bike hard. However, when he tried to pull away for another hit, he realized that the fronts had locked together, the stabilizers too entangled to rip apart. He and the scout trooper focused on trying to separate their bikes. 

Suddenly, the Force screamed at Luke to let go. It made him look up just in time. Their locked bikes were headed straight for the stump of a fallen tree. He dove to the side, falling to the ground. The scout trooper, without the warning of the Force, crashed right into it. The bikes exploded, but Luke didn’t see it. Hitting the ground had knocked him out, and he laid unconscious on the forest floor. 

He hadn’t been there long before another visitor showed up. He slowly came to, his head pounding and unsure what had awakened him. Then he felt something sharp jab against his ribs. 

Instincts from years of being in the Rebellion had him moving immediately, scrambling away from whatever poked him with panic in his wide eyes. His heart pounded as he stared at the creature before him. 

His first thought was that a teddy bear attacked him. It was small, standing on two legs to point a spear at him. But it kept a fair distance, seeming to be cautious of Luke as well. He blinked a few times, the panic starting to fade from his limbs. It was actually kind of cute. 

“Hi,” he said, rather stupidly. 

The creature backed up a step, lifting its spear and growling. A strange feeling of fondness filled Luke’s chest at the sound. It was closer to the purr of a loth-cat than an actual growl.

He raised his hands to show that they were empty, unbuckling the helmet and tossing it to the side so he wouldn’t scare the little guy further.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said soothingly, holding up his hands. “I won’t hurt you.” 

The creature still looked suspicious, holding up his spear and chattering in a language that he didn’t know. He wished that Threepio was here to translate. Instead, he pressed his hands to his chest, hoping that body language could help with the language barrier. 

“I’m Luke,” he said gently, smiling gently at him. “Luke Organa.” 

The creature, which he didn’t know was called an Ewok just yet, lowered his spear slightly. He tilted his head, looking at Luke curiously. Finally, he shifted the spear to one hand, setting it upright. With the other paw, he tapped his chest. 

“Wicket!” He said, the word coming clear this time. 

Luke beamed, crossing his legs and sitting up. From here, they were at eye level with one another. He figured he wouldn’t get up, for fear of scaring the little one further. Besides, exchanging names was an excellent start, and he wanted to keep it up. 

“Wicket,” he repeated quietly, nodding. Wicket looked pleased with his pronunciation, taking a few steps closer to him. Luke pulled out the rations bar that he kept for the trip, unwrapping it to offer to him. “Are you hungry?” 

Wicket took another cautious step forward. Wanting to show that he was being genuine, Luke took a small bite off the corner then offered it out again. This time, Wicket took it, taking a curious nibble. He seemed to like it, saying something that sounded appreciative. Then, to Luke’s delight, he plopped down beside him, eating the food happily. 

Happy that he seemed to have made a friend, Luke looked around. 

“I guess we’re stuck here,” he said out loud. “Well, I guess me, more so than you.” He took a deep breath. Wicket seemed to be happily focused on the food, so he figured that they had reached an understanding. It was classic negotiation. “Maybe you can help me.”

Just then, Wicket’s head snapped up, and he jumped to his feet. Following suit, Luke shot to his feet too, his hand going to the blaster on his belt. Wicket knew these woods, so if he sensed something, it was probably an issue for them both. 

“What is it?” Luke asked softly, immediately scanning the surrounding foliage for hiding places, both for them and for anyone who could be coming after them. Wicket didn’t offer an answer, still suspiciously sniffing the air. He held his spear upright, as if preparing for a fight. 

A blaster bolt split the air, making Wicket shriek. Luke instinctively tracked where it came from, then wrapped an arm around Wicket and lifted him up, leaping behind a large log. He couldn’t leave him in danger. 

“Stay down,” he whispered, gesturing for him to stay ducked behind the log. He stood, readying his blaster to aim in the direction where the first laser fire had come from. It meant an Imperial, which was a bad sign. He scanned the underbrush, unable to see the telltale white uniform. 

A laser blast hit the log, making Luke duck again. Wicket made the smart choice and ducked beneath the log, rolling out of his sight. He sighed, half in relief and half in sadness. He was sorry to see his new friend go, but he wanted him out of danger. 

He inched his head above the log, wishing that he still had his helmet. He had discarded it so quickly to reassure Wicket that he wouldn’t hurt him. Balancing the blaster quickly on the log, he scanned the endless green in search of the stormtrooper who shot at him. Why wasn’t he coming after him? 

The obvious answer hit him a second too late. Because it was a trap. 

“Freeze!” A new voice snapped. Luke gasped, fear filling his chest. A scout trooper, inches away from him. He hadn’t even realized that he was being snuck up on. “Come on, get up.”

Luke slowly stood. It felt difficult with all the dread weighing him down. The stormtrooper snatched the blaster from his hand. He still had the lightsaber that Leia had given him, tucked away beneath his poncho, but he didn’t go for it just yet. He could hear quiet growling, like a loth-cat purring. 

Another stormtrooper emerged from the trees, likely the one who had shot at them to draw them into the trap. 

“Go get your ride,” the one holding a gun to Luke’s head ordered. He stepped uncomfortably close, making more anxiety rise in Luke’s chest. “Take him back to base.”

“Yes, sir.” The stormtrooper made his way off, heading for a speeder bike. 

There was a tiny war cry from beneath them, and the stormtrooper suddenly yelled in pain, falling back. Wicket had used his spear to jab at his leg, hitting flesh between the white armor. Luke took the opportunity to grab a large stick from nearby, sizable enough to be a club, and swung it as hard at the stormtrooper’s head as possible. 

He dropped to the ground, and Luke with him, scrambling for his blaster. He grabbed it from the stormtrooper’s limp hand, shooting to his feet. They couldn’t let the other one get away, or he could blow the whole operation. 

Instinct combined with years of battle training taking over, Luke only had to fire two shots to take out the scout trooper and both the speeder bikes. The resulting explosion was a relief. Luke sighed, putting away his blaster. That could’ve been much worse. 

Wicket seemed to be even more delighted by the success than he was, standing on top of the log and cheering. He waved his spear, delighted by his win. He turned to Luke, chattering happily at him in Ewokese. Luke smiled at him, affection filling his heart. They made an excellent team, and he was pretty sure that they both realized it. 

“Thanks for the save, Wicket,” he told him warmly. He held out his hands, helping him down from the top of the log. “We should get out of here.” 

He took his paw, starting down the first path that he saw within the bushes. After only a few steps, Wicket tugged on his hand, chattering and pointing the other way with his spear. Luke glanced that way, then nodded. This time, when he took his paw, it was to allow Wicket to lead them wherever he deemed safest. 

  
  


Leia jogged back to their meeting point, scanning the trees for a sign of life. She was impressed; she knew that the strike team would be there, but she couldn’t see them. They had a good crew. She looked around, hoping to spot Chewie’s large form. 

“Leia!” Han’s voice called. 

She turned to see him emerging from behind a tree. Several other soldiers appeared in the underbrush as well. She grinned, walking over to him. She pulled off the helmet, shaking out her short hair. Instead of looking pleased to see her, however, Han glanced around worriedly. 

“Where’s Luke?” 

She frowned at him. “He didn’t come back?” 

“I thought he was with you,” Han said, a note of accusation in his voice. 

A sliver of guilt curled in Leia’s chest. She had just jumped onto the speeder bike to stop the others, and Luke had told her to wait. While she succeeded, what if she lost him? He always talked about her impulsiveness with equal parts fondness and exasperation. 

“We got separated,” she said worriedly, looking around. She rubbed her face, taking a deep breath. While she was exhausted from the run back, she couldn’t let her brother down. “We have to find him.” 

Han turned to one of their soldiers. He gestured for him to come forward, pointing towards their intended destination. They had planned to get to the shield generator as soon as possible so Luke, ever the strategist, could find all the possible information before deciding how to take it down. That was going to be significantly more difficult without him. 

“Rex, take the squad ahead,” he ordered. “We’ll meet at the shield generator at 0300.” 

Rex nodded to Han and led the soldiers into the forest, while Han, Chewie, Leia, and the droids started towards another direction. Hopefully he would be able to do some scouting of his own. 

“We’ll need your scanners, Artoo,” Leia called. She was more worried than she cared to admit. Luke was capable, and she knew that. They had been on lots of difficult missions, but like Han, she hated letting him out of her sight. Luke had become someone unspeakably important to both of them, albeit in very different ways. They shared the same tensely worried expressions as they marched behind Chewie into the woods.

“Don’t worry, Commander Leia!” Threepio added cheerfully, hurrying behind Artoo. “We know what to do.” 

[We?] Artoo beeped incredulously. [You don’t have useful scanners, dumbass. All you know how to do is fucking talk.] 

“Well, at least I know how to do so without such rude language,” he replied curtly. 

Chewbacca roared at both of them to shut up, effectively ending the argument. They continued forward in tense quiet, aside from Han peppering Leia with questions about which direction they went, how far she thought he went, why the hell she came back without finding him first. She wanted to snap back at him, but she could only get out short answers. They were both frustrated and anxious, which only led to a building tension between them. 

Eventually they split up, although Leia wasn’t sure if it was to cover more ground or to get some distance from one another. She jumped up onto a log, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of life. Her eyes fell on charred and curled metal, the twisted remains of two speeder bikes. There were two bodies in white armor, one by the log and beside the speeder wrecks. Her eyes lowered to the ground, and her heart squeezed. Luke’s helmet. 

She jumped down, kneeling beside it and picking it up. 

“Luke, where the hell are you?” She whispered to it, as if it was a comlink that could connect her directly to her brother. She paused, then looked up at the forest ahead. A comlink directly to her brother. Stars, in her panic over losing him, she had acted like a complete fucking idiot. Their Force bond. Why hadn’t she consulted their Force bond? 

“I’m a moron,” she said out loud. “A fucking moron.” 

It was especially annoying because it proved Ben to be right. She had a personal connection with Luke, so she wasn’t thinking clearly, so she acted like an idiot. Stars, she hated it when Ben was right about these things. 

She closed her eyes, concentrating on their bond. She reached out for him, but before she could say anything, a voice broke her concentration. 

“Leia! Hey, Leia!” Han’s voice yelled. He sounded worried. She opened her eyes, making a quiet sound of frustration and jogging over towards him. She would contact Luke once she figured this out. 

Threepio, Artoo, Chewie, and Han were gathered around a tree. There were two wrecked speeders at its base, with a body too burned to make out who it was. Han looked crestfallen, pacing back and forth before it. Chewie made a mournful sound. 

“I found this,” she said, tossing the helmet to Han. 

It had been a fair distance from the wreck, so it was proof that he was alive, and that was the most important thing. Of course, it left them at square one again, but it was something. Han took a deep breath, some hope igniting in his eyes again. 

“I'm afraid that Artoo’s sensors can find no trace of Prince Luke,” Threepio reported, sounding unhappy. 

Han turned the helmet over in his hands, staring down at it. His expression was less guarded, betraying the worry inside him. 

“I hope he’s alright,” he said quietly. 

Leia opened her mouth to give him a brief explanation of their bond, which they hadn’t really explained to anyone yet, but she was interrupted by a rattling roar from Chewbacca. He started off towards something in the woods, and everyone else stared as he left. 

“What, Chewie?” Han asked. He roared again then kept moving, quickly leaving them all behind. Han stepped over the charred speeder bikes, walking quickly after him. His voice became more demanding, probably with the hope that he found Luke. “What, Chewie?”

Leia jogged after them, the droids following along as quickly as they were able. Chewie led them to a small clearing, with a stake in the middle pointed straight up. Hanging off of it was a dead animal, with a potently awful smell. She wrinkled her nose, keeping a fair distance. 

“I don’t get it,” Han said after a beat. “Nah, it’s just a dead animal, Chewie.” 

Chewie roared, reaching out to pull the animal off the stake. Leia’s eyes widened, and she rushed in to try and stop him. 

“Chewie, wait!” She yelled. “Don’t!”

It was too late. As soon as he touched it, a giant net rose up from the forest floor, snapping all five of them up in the air. They all yelled as they became tangled together, struggling against the ropes pinning them tightly against one another. Han ended up beneath Chewie with his face shoved against the netting. Leia was almost upside down, pinned at a diagonal angle with Threepio’s pointy elbow joints digging into her back. They spun in a slow circle with the momentum of the net. 

[What the  _ fuck _ , hairball?] Artoo chittered angrily. 

“Nice work,” Han muttered drily. “Great, Chewie, great. Always thinking with your stomach.”

“And you think  _ I’m _ the impulsive one,” Leia groaned. She stretched against the net, struggling to reach her lightsaber to cut them down. It was impossible, she could barely move. “Han, can you reach my lightsaber?” 

“Yeah, sure!” He called, wiggling his free arm out and stretching towards Leia. It only made them spin faster. She was just out of reach. 

[Just let me handle this,] Artoo beeped. She couldn’t see him; he was at the bottom of the net, so she just trusted that he had a plan. However, Threepio knew the trash can a little better, and knew what he was planning. 

“Artoo, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” he cautioned. “It’s a very long– DROP!” 

Artoo cut in just the right spot, because the net opened up and everyone tumbled down gracelessly. Leia and Han ended up sprawled out beside one another, groaning. She rolled over, pressing an arm against her spine. That was going to bruise tomorrow. As she sat up, she slowly realized that the bushes around them were moving, and small bears were emerging from the greenery. 

“What the…” She looked around, realizing that they were being surrounded. The creatures were honestly kind of cute, but they were also holding spears and wearing teeth necklaces. Han followed her gaze, complete bewilderment on his face. They had come to the planet expecting problems with the Imps, but not teddy bears. He almost looked like he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but the pointed ends of the spears were too close for that. 

The tallest of the very short creatures stepped towards Han, brandishing his spear at him menacingly. He was not amused. 

“Hey, point that thing someplace else!” He snapped, shoving the spear to the side. 

His words caused another Ewok to approach, arguing with the leader in their language. Leia didn’t know what the subject was, but she could only hope it had something to do with catch-and-release. 

If it was, her side lost, because the leader shoved his spear in Han’s face again. Annoyance crossed his face, and this time he grabbed the stick, raising his blaster. 

“Hey!” 

“Han, don’t!” Leia said, grabbing his arm to stop him from using the blaster. These creatures didn’t feel like enemies, to her. There was certainly a misunderstanding, but she wasn’t about to kill them over it. “We’re here to deal with Imps, not teddy bears.” 

Han relaxed slightly, although he didn’t look happy about it. The Eroks went after them then, not hurting them, but relieving them of all their obvious weapons. They either didn’t see or didn’t care about Leia’s lightsaber, which she wasn’t about to argue with. 

“Oh, my head,” Threepio said suddenly, sitting up. 

His presence had an immediate effect on the Ewoks. They gasped in awe, momentarily forgetting their other prisoners to focus on the shiny golden man. They chattered excitedly with one another. Leia had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like the end result of this. Of everyone in their party, why did the teddy bears seem enamoured with their useless protocol droid? They only brought him because Luke and Artoo insisted. Luke liked to be prepared for any situation, and both he and Artoo were fond of their idiot. 

“Oh my goodness,” he said, looking around. 

The Ewoks began chanting something, rhythmic and repeating. As Leia watched, openmouthed, they began to bow to Threepio. Han scoffed at the sight. All the creatures appeared to be deadly serious in their apparent worship, continually chanting and bowing. Threepio seemed delighted with the attention. He even said something that sounded surprisingly like the language of the Ewoks, although still in his ridiculous posh accent. 

“Threepio,” Leia said, silently running through every Jedi meditative chant that she knew to keep herself from tearing her hair out at their current situation. “What the fuck?” 

“I am fluent in over six million forms of communication,” Threepio reminded them cheerfully. 

“What are you telling them?” Han demanded. 

“‘Hello’, I think,” he replied. He listened a moment longer before adding, “I could be mistaken. They’re using a very primitive dialect. But I do believe they think I am some sort of god.” 

Everyone burst into laughter at the idea. Only Han didn’t laugh, instead staring at the droid like he was rethinking all his life choices leading to this point. The protocol droid, the one that they had to rescue time and time again, a god? Really? 

“Well,” Han said, with a painfully fake cheerful tone. Leia covered her mouth to hide a grin. She had missed having someone around that was even more sarcastic than she was. “Why don’t you use your divine influence and get us out of this?”

“I beg your pardon, General Solo, but that just wouldn’t be proper,” he replied, shaking his head. 

“ _ Proper? _ ”

“It’s against my programming to impersonate a deity.” 

Leia snorted. Han lost it. He shot to his feet, and it seemed like he was going to find out whether it was possible to strangle a droid. 

“Why you–”

The Ewoks reacted immediately in defense of their new golden god. They surrounded Threepio protectively, and several more shoved spears in Han’s direction, encircling him with adorable expressions of murder. They chattered angrily at him, making him stop in his tracks. He lifted his hands in surrender. 

“My mistake,” he said. He took on the same tone he used whenever trying to swindle someone out of money or attempting to bargain for his life. He gestured to Threepio. “He’s an old friend of mine.” 

Like most of Han’s attempts to negotiate for his life, it did not work. Shortly afterwards, everyone except Threepio found themselves bound hand and foot, tied to sticks so the Ewoks could carry them back to their village. The whole thing was excruciatingly slow, since they had very short legs. All that they could do was sway back and forth with the tiny movements, Han and Leia growing more annoyed with every moment. 

“Still think that we’re not here to go after the teddy bears, kid?” Han called snidely. 

“Fuck off, Han,” she shot back. 

Finally, they reached the Ewok village. Chewie and Leia craned their necks to look around. It was quite beautiful, actually. The buildings wrapped around the trees and connected them, creating a city built hundreds of feet above the ground. There were narrow pathways, rope swings, scarcely any railings. In any other situation, Leia would have loved it. Threepio was held in a position of honor at the front of the procession, sitting comfortably in a wooden chair. Leia considered using the Force to shove him over, but she resisted the urge. 

Finally, she pulled herself up on her ropes, getting an elbow over the stick that the Ewoks carried her with. She had to twist herself around to see the direction that they were being taken, since they were being carried headfirst. 

“Threepio, where are they taking us?” She yelled. 

His metal body didn’t allow him to turn to look at her very well, but he raised a hand to wave as he spoke. 

“I believe you are to be judged by the chief and the prince of the tribe,” he called back. “They will decide your fates.”

Han’s head snapped up, his eyes going wide. He twisted on the ropes to glare at the back of his golden head. 

“And what if they don’t like us?” He demanded. 

“I'm rather embarrassed, General Solo,” Threepio admitted. “But it appears you would be the main course at a banquet in honor of myself and the prince.” 

Han groaned loudly, rolling his eyes. He was going to kill someone when he got out of this. The worst possible ending for Han Solo would be to be killed by teddy bears who wanted to eat him. He wanted to go out in an explosion while saving Luke’s life, and be remembered as the hero of the Rebellion, not this shit. 

“I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” he muttered tiredly. 

They eventually arrived at their destination, a large village square in front of the largest hut. Threepio was carried in first, his chair placed on a small platform beside another, occupied throne. There was a fire pit in the center of the square, and all the prisoners piled unceremoniously beside it. Han, Leia, and Chewie uncomfortably eyed it and the nearby pile of logs. Then, they looked up to see the newest prince of the Ewok village. 

“Three hours,” Luke said, slowly shaking his head as he smiled down at them. “I left you alone for three hours, and you get overpowered by creatures half your size.” 

They stared up at him, open mouthed. While they were all bound to their sticks, Luke was sitting on a throne beside Threepio’s, one leg crossed over the other. He had replaced his camouflage poncho with a woven brown cape, which he definitely didn’t have when they landed on Endor. There was even a crown perched on his blonde hair, made of deep green leaves and tiny white flowers. Based on the chattering Ewok at his side, he was an adored member of the tribe. 

“Luke?” Han said breathlessly, looking up at him as if he was falling in love with him all over again. 

“Luke,” Leia called, lighting up. She glanced around, slow understanding creeping into her gaze. Luke had made friends with the Ewoks. Of course he had. She should have expected that her twin was friendly enough to win over creatures that he didn’t even share a language with. “Are you… their prince?” 

“Honorary prince, technically,” Luke corrected, reaching an arm over to lift the Ewok at his side onto his lap. He wrapped a parental arm around him, and Wicket happily snuggled in, purring softly. 

“How the hell did you win them over so fast?” She demanded. It was absolutely unfair that he was so good at this. 

“Negotiation,” Luke said, as if it should have been obvious. After all, he was one of the youngest and brightest members of the Imperial Senate. He could handle some very friendly natives, even with the language barrier. Frankly, he wasn’t even particularly worried. The Ewoks were very kind, and he was back in his comfort zone at last. Negotiation had been a large part of his life as a young senator, and he had been stuck in nothing but war for so long. He had missed being friendly and diplomatic to solve problems. It was certainly better than running into every situation with a blaster. 

“Sweetheart,” Han called, a look of mixed adoration and apprehension in his eyes. “You think you could give us a hand?” 

Luke winked at him with a small, mischievous grin on his face, then finally turned to Threepio. 

“Threepio, please translate for me,” he asked politely, laying a hand on the golden droid’s arm. 

“Of course, your Royal Highness,” he replied gratefully. 

Luke stood, setting Wicket down on his throne. He walked over to the chief, kneeling down in front of him and taking his paws in his hands. His cape draped gracefully across the ground behind him, and he looked regal as ever. 

“Chirpa, you have been very kind to me,” he began, looking at him with sincerity in his eyes. Threepio quickly translated behind him, although Luke had figured out how to use body language and inflection of his own to match those of the Ewoks, which helped him convince them. “Thank you for the offer of a feast in our honor, but these people are my friends and allies. I would like to see them freed, and perhaps we can work together to find a different meal to feed your people tonight.” 

There was a beat of silence as the chief considered his request. Luke waited patiently, still kneeling in front of him. His friends worriedly looked between the negotiations and the cooking pit. Finally, the chief raised his hands, making a loud declaration to the crowd of waiting Ewoks. They rushed to obey. 

Leia tensed as they were surrounded once more, but this time, the Ewoks pulled the ropes off their wrists, freeing them. Luke smiled at the chief one last time, nodding in thanks to him. Then he stood, rushing to see his friends again. Han got to him first, grabbing him by the waist and spinning him around. Luke smiled, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and kissing him firmly. Han pulled away to set him down, but Luke didn’t release him, leaning in for one more kiss before letting go. 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you weren’t even worried about us, your highness,” Han said, reaching up to straighten his flower crown with a smirk. 

“I had the situation under control,” he replied, smiling up at him. Han must’ve been rubbing off on him, because the confidence in his eyes almost could have been mistaken for smugness. 

Han chuckled. He leaned down to kiss Luke again, but Leia loudly cleared her throat, raising her eyebrows expectantly at him. Han rolled his eyes, but released Luke’s waist. He smiled up at him, turning to hug Leia tightly. 

“You had me worried,” she murmured in his ear. 

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “We found one another eventually.” 

He never lost faith that he would, even if he had been constantly busy negotiating and working with the Ewoks. It had taken quite a bit of miming and talking, but they had found one another’s trust. In fact, he quite liked them. Luckily, shortly after he was made an official member of the tribe, he caught sight of Threepio being escorted on a chair, and put the pieces together. The Force had brought his friends right back to him. 

They began to pull apart, but Chewbacca came up behind them at that moment, wrapping the three of them in a giant hug. Leia laughed, Han made a wheezing sound of protest, and Luke shrieked excitedly. But they were all happy, relieved to have their little team back together. 

True to his word, Luke helped the Ewoks organize another hunt. With Chewbacca and his bowcaster, as well as the exemplary tracking skills of their new friends, they were able to find meals suitable enough for the whole tribe. It was a cheerful night, full of excited chatter and happiness all around. Luke helped the rest of them with their Ewok diplomacy skills, introducing them to his young friend Wicket and the leaders of the tribe. 

By the end of the night, they were all curled together, watching Threepio give the Ewoks an abridged version of their time together. He began with explaining the rise of the Empire, then jumped to the events that brought their group together. Han had his arm around Luke, who had Wicket sitting in his lap. Leia was perched on a rafter behind them, enjoying the extra height. Young Ewoks reached for her dangling legs. Chewie, for better or for worse, found himself with no less than nine Ewoks curled comfortably against him like a giant pillow. 

Luke halfheartedly listened to the story, relaxed into a sleepy contentment by the sound of Han’s heartbeat. Han had the same happy smile across his face, interrupted only by the occasional Ewok cuddling against him. Leia listened to the story, following along even if she couldn’t understand their words. It was the story of her life, after all. A strange kind of melancholy sadness filled her chest. She missed when her priorities were as simple as trying to blow up the Death Star, without worrying about having personal connections to those on it. 

The Ewoks were entranced by the story, reacting loudly and excitedly to each turn of events. Wicket occasionally looked to Luke as if to confirm that it was true, and he nodded every time. Finally, when Threepio finished, he turned to Chief Chirpa and the rest of the council leaders, bowing to them. 

The leaders began discussing in quiet, fast-paced Ewokese. It lasted for quite a few minutes, and Luke sat up slightly to pay better attention to it, studying their body language. It was easily familiar. 

“What’s going on?” Han asked quietly. 

“They’re deciding whether or not to accept you as part of their tribe,” Luke answered softly. He had seen this same kind of discussion when he and Wicket arrived, although the latter had been the one to deliver their story then. Based on the nods from most of the members, he was feeling optimistic. 

Chief Chirpa raised his hands, quieting the murmurs that had spread through the crowd when the story ended. A drummer began playing a rhythmic beat, and the chief announced their decision. 

“Wonderful!” Threepio said, turning to his friends. “We are now part of the tribe.”

The room exploded into a further celebration. All of the new members of the tribe were lucky enough to get tackle-hugged by no less than five Ewoks. Luke laughed, accepting the welcome happily. 

“Just what I always wanted,” Han said, only a bit of sarcasm in his voice, but he smiled at the Ewok embracing him. Another had attached himself to Han’s leg, refusing to let go and hindering his movements quite a bit. 

Leia slipped down from her place in the rafters, accepting a few hugs. She smiled at them, but a cold feeling in her chest distracted her. She glanced out the door, away from the warm firelight and into the cool night air. She knew what that cold feeling meant, even as discomfort knotted her stomach. Untangling herself from the Ewoks, she stepped out the open door and onto the platform. Her short locks fluttered softly in the cool breeze as she got a bit of distance from the hut. 

Vader. He had arrived on Endor, just as she had worried that he would. They could sense one another easily now, a bond between father and daughter trained in the Jedi arts. She sighed, leaning on the rail. This meant that she couldn’t stay with Luke to help him take out the shield generator. It felt all too soon, but she couldn’t put it off, not anymore. 

It was time to confront her father. 

She looked up at the Death Star, floating dimly in the sky above them. It was so stupid of her to think that she could turn Vader, right? Even with her doubts and anxieties over the plan, she knew that she would try to make it work, the same way that she always fought impossible odds

“Leia?” Luke called, stepping out onto the platform. There was an unhappy certainty in his eyes. He had to feel Vader nearby, since he was so sensitive to the Force. He also knew what it meant for her. 

“Hey,” she said quietly, turning to him. 

“I feel it too.” He shivered, pulling his cape more tightly around him and glancing up at the Death Star. He looked at her sadly. “You’re going, aren’t you?”

“I have to.” She saw no point in trying to hide it. She took a deep breath, knowing that she had to make sure that Luke was ready to become a Jedi if she failed tonight. “Look, if I don’t come back, I left Ben’s books–” 

“Leia, don’t say that–”

“Luke.” She held up a hand to stop him, but there was an unhappy look in her eyes. Luke asked her to come home afterwards, but they both knew it wasn’t a guarantee. “I’ll try, but if something happens to me, you have to become the next Jedi. You’re the only one I trust.” 

He was the only person that could learn from Ben’s books to become a good Jedi. He was strong, compassionate, and gifted in the Force. She had a feeling that his powers could rival hers, someday. 

Luke did not share her confidence. He shook his head, even as his hand instinctively went to the lightsaber hidden away beneath the cape. He couldn’t do what Leia had done, he couldn’t even imagine having that kind of strength. She was a force of nature, with or without the lightsaber.

“I don’t have that kind of power,” he told her. “No one can replace you.”

“You can,” she told him. She reached forward, taking his hand in both of hers. She took a deep breath, knowing that this was something that she had to do. If she didn’t make it back, Luke had to know the truth. She hated herself for not working up the courage to tell him earlier, so they had time to work through the emotions that came with it, but that would have to come later. “Look, this won’t be easy to hear, but you’re not just my best friend. You’re my brother.” 

If it wasn’t for the seriousness in her eyes, Luke would have smiled and told her that of course he was her brother, they were as close as siblings. But the solemn, almost unhappy look on her face at what should have been good news made dread creep into his chest. 

“Your brother?” He echoed softly, staring into her dark eyes with confusion streaked across his features. 

“Yes,” she forced out, squeezing his hand. 

The Force sang of the truth in her words, as did the unhappiness and sorrow unfolding in Leia’s mind that he could feel in their bond. It made so much sense. When he was with Leia, he felt stronger, more prepared to face the world. He didn’t feel so hopelessly alone, no matter what the circumstances were. The words shifted his mind just in the slightest, and all the pieces fell perfectly into place. They had both been adopted, they knew one another better than they knew themselves, and their bond had formed so quickly, so easily, it was like it had been there before, quietly connecting them in ways that they never realized. For a split second, happiness flared up in his chest, the beginnings of a smile rising to his lips. He had a sister, he had a family–

The implications of what she was saying finally hit him in full force, and nausea washed over him. His face fell. He swayed slightly, putting his free hand against the railing to stabilize himself. Leia’s hands kept him grounded even as a rush of horrified thoughts spun in his mind. 

“Oh,” he said softly. His voice had never sounded smaller. 

Leia’s family was his, which meant that Darth Vader was his father too. The man who tortured him, whose hands had bruised him over and over again, who traumatized him and haunted his nightmares, was his father. The thought made him want to throw up and claw all his skin off at once. He had sympathized with Leia when she told him, but now he fully understood her horror. What kind of evil ran through his blood? 

“I know, and I’m sorry,” she said, and the pain in her voice broke his heart. She pulled him into a tight hug, and he could only hold onto her. They were both crying, suddenly. Whether it was caused by feeling the other’s pain or their own, they both clung to one another with tears running down their faces. 

“It’s not you,” Luke said desperately, trying to ease her pain as best he could. It wasn’t having her as a sister that hurt him, it was their monster of a father. “You’re amazing, I’m proud to call you my sister, it’s just–” 

He couldn’t finish, couldn’t say the words aloud. They would be poison on his lips. 

“And I love that you’re my brother,” she told him quietly. 

Luke was the person that Leia admired most in the galaxy. He was so good, so kind. He was the person that she would trust with her life, the best kind of leader. She would follow him anywhere. Luke thought that Leia was the strongest person that he ever met, the only person that was fit to lead the Jedi into a new era. He asked for hope, and the universe delivered her to him. 

They stayed together for a long moment, struggling to deal with a tsunami of emotions. They didn’t have nearly enough time for all the things they wanted to say. Eventually, Leia reluctantly pulled away, using her sleeve to wipe away tear streaks on her face. 

“That’s why you want to save him,” Luke said softly, looking into her eyes. She nodded silently, sniffing. It took some effort to straighten and call the Jedi strength back to herself. She took a deep breath. 

“I have to try,” she told him. They both knew that the odds were against her, but Luke admired that she was even willing to try. It took a strength that he couldn’t imagine, especially given his own personal experiences with Vader. He squeezed her hands as a way of telling her that he understood. 

Time was short. She had to leave, to try to confront the darkness in Vader. Perhaps she would survive, perhaps she wouldn’t, but she knew that Luke would carry on the Jedi legacy if she died. That made it slightly easier to release her brother’s hands, stepping back. It physically hurt to distance herself from him, and she felt the same pain from him. She wished that they hadn’t been separated, that she had more time to laugh and enjoy spending time with her brother. She hated that the chance to grow up together had been taken away from them. Every step was harder, but she forced herself to take them. 

Luke’s face was still wet as he watched her go, feeling like she was taking his heart with her as she left. It was the hardest thing in the world to stay in place, but he couldn’t follow her, where she was going. He just had to trust that she could handle this. 

“I love you,” he called. He tried to pour all his feelings into the words, that he had faith in her, that he trusted her, that she was the person that he cared about most in the galaxy. It was especially painful because he had said the same thing to Han, right before Vader snatched him away too. All he could do was hope that this wouldn’t end the same way. 

She gave him a smile, such a broken, shaky smile. “I love you too.” 

With that, she forced herself to turn around, walking into the darkness of the forest and possibly straight to her doom. 

Luke tried to stay strong as long as she was within earshot. A few moments after he couldn’t hear her quickly retreating footsteps, he fell to his knees, his eyes burning with tears. He had found out that he had a sister and watched her walk away from him in the span of a few minutes. He found out that the man who tortured him beyond words was his father. The burden of being the first new Jedi was on his head if she didn’t survive. He hadn’t felt this level of grief and hopelessness since Alderaan. 

“Luke?” Han’s voice called. His footsteps quickly drew close, and he knelt before him, looking worriedly into his eyes. His voice was incredibly gentle, his calloused hands taking Luke’s gently. “Hey, what’s going on?” 

Luke looked into his warm hazel eyes, his mouth opening in search of an explanation, but he had none. How could he explain the mess of emotions inside him? There was so much that he hadn’t explained, it would take far too long. Instead, he just threw his arms around Han’s ribs, clinging to him in search of some kind of grounding to keep himself from flying to pieces. 

“Just hold me,” he whispered. 

It had to be ridiculously confusing for Han, to walk out after what seemed to be a happy night and find the man he loved in pieces. It would take hours to explain someday, but for now he would just have to deal with some strange behavior. But the wonderful thing about Han was that he didn’t always demand an explanation. He liked having one, and he constantly pestered until he got it, but he also understood when to let all that go. 

Han simply did as Luke asked, and held him for as long as he needed it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY this took so long, and that it is so long. I'm also sorry for my chapter titles. But we got some fun moments! I know the Ewok scene is way different, but I firmly believe that Prince Luke Organa is ridiculously friendly enough to befriend a race of teddy bears. 
> 
> Just a friendly reminder that updates come faster with comments! I reread the comments like crazy guys, it helps with my motivation a lot, so please leave your thoughts! Happy reading!


	4. Quite the Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia finds her father, determined to drag him back to the light whether he likes it or not. Luke's unlikely allies come in handy.

There were many good ways to get into a lightly guarded Imperial base. After all, under the protection of the shield generator, it was unlikely that Rebels would get in, so they could afford to just keep sentries wandering around. The base only consisted of a landing platform and the shield generator itself. There were slender glass hallways beneath the platform, and from where Leia stood, hidden in the shadows of the forest, she could see a figure cloaked in black, pacing back and forth. Her father was waiting for her. 

Leia had many options. She could use the Force to locate her father, cut a hole in the ceiling of the hallway he was standing in, then drop in with a witty comment. Perhaps a bit showy. She could walk in and get rid of anyone who got in her way. Perhaps that was too violent. 

In the end, she ended up sneaking in. It was all too easy to avoid the stormtroopers, at least without Han’s presence. The bucket heads never saw her coming. The AT-AT walker might have spotted her, but instead she moved behind it, making her way towards where two stormtroopers were speaking to an Imperial officer. She emerged from the shadows, her deactivated lightsaber in one hand. 

“I’m here to speak with Lord Vader,” she said pleasantly, her eyes like ice. 

“What the–” The stormtroopers leapt into an action stance, pointing their guns at her. The Imperial officer was ashen, staring at her with fear in his eyes. She raised her eyebrows, just a touch of a smile on her face. 

“He’s expecting me,” she added, offering her lightsaber to the nearest stormtrooper, who snatched it away and handed it to the officer. “You’ll need that.” 

The stormtroopers rushed to cuff her, and she rolled her eyes. She wasn’t fighting, why did they insist on being so excessive? She allowed her wrists to be cuffed in front of her, watching the Imperial officer all the while. He glanced between her and the lightsaber suspiciously. 

“How many of you are there?” He demanded. 

“Just me,” she answered evenly, keeping her expression cool. “I’m here to speak with Vader.” 

At the mention of the name, the suspicion in the man’s eyes was overtaken with nervousness. It seemed that the fear of the Sith didn’t just extend to the rebels. He weighed her lightsaber in his hand for a moment, then made a decision. 

“Bring her this way,” he ordered, turning and stalking towards one of the elevators. The stormtroopers reached to grab Leia’s arms, but she shook them off, glaring. Surrendering was embarrassing enough, but she wasn’t about to let them drag her in. Instead, she walked calmly ahead, stepping into the elevator behind the officer. The stormtroopers watched her like hawks, clearly not trusting her surrender. 

As the elevator rose, she closed her eyes, taking a slow breath. She was about to see her father for the first time since Bespin. Though she kept up her studiously placid expression, her emotions were swirling inside her. There was some fear at seeing the man who cut off her hand, the person who had terrorized the Rebellion for so long. She was also still pissed that he had cut off her hand and immediately asked her to join him, not to mention the sheer amount of people that he had hurt and killed. Despite everything, there was a burning sliver of hope intermixed with all of her raging emotions. She had to trust that Shmi might be right, and there was a chance that she could save her father. Worse, she wanted to. 

She opened her eyes as the elevator doors hissed open, following the Imperial officer into the platform. She had to look up a bit to see her father’s mask, since he was a full head and shoulders taller than her. It was the same expressionless mask, cold black metal that seemed to be curled into a lifeless snarl. She focused on his eyes, seeing the red tint there. Were his eyes blue, like Luke’s, or brown, like hers? She always imagined them blue, but it was impossible to tell. 

In person, the power of their Force bond was overpowering. She had just begun to sense it, especially from a distance. The recognizable cold of his darkness made goosebumps rise over her skin, even beneath the black shirt that she wore. She felt like her own Force signature would be completely swallowed by it. She stared at him, completely ignoring whatever conversation he was having with the Imperial officer. Anger and pain bled through the cold of his presence, but there was something else. On impulse, she reached out through the Force, trying to see more. Pride, regret, loss,  _ conflict _ . 

“Leave us,” Vader said shortly, his voice sharp enough to break her concentration. She blinked, her mind reeling. “Conduct your search and bring her companions to me.” 

Her jaw set, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response. Luke and Han were very capable, and they could avoid the stormtroopers. She had her own mission. 

As the rest of the Imps left, she silently processed everything that she had felt in Vader’s Force signature. There wasn’t just endless rage and pain, like Yoda had talked about within the dark side. She had felt regret and conflict, sorrow for what he had become. It was enough to convince her that she was making the right choice. There was a part of her father that was still Anakin Skywalker. She had to save him. 

“The Emperor has been expecting you,” he said, turning and walking down the hallway. Leia followed him, her heart pounding. She had to save him. 

“I know, Father,” she said quietly, forcing herself to remain in Jedi calm, trying to release her racing thoughts into the Force. She had to handle this conversation well; she couldn’t risk saying the wrong thing and losing him. 

She felt a ripple of surprise from Vader, and he turned his head towards her. 

“So, you have accepted the truth,” he commented, turning back forwards. It was still hard to read his computerized voice, but she had the feeling that he was working as hard to stay calm as she was. Shmi did say they were alike. 

“Yes,” Leia said after a beat, looking at him from the corner of her vision. “You were Anakin Skywalker.” 

The name seemed to break through the brief calm spell, and he stopped in his tracks, turning on her. He held her lightsaber out, shaking it at her disapprovingly. It was the most fatherly that he had ever looked, frankly, scolding her for using that name. 

“That name no longer has any meaning for me,” he hissed. Leia could feel the pain that the name brought, loathing and loss. She pounced on it. 

“I can tell,” she said dryly, lifting her cuffed hands in mock surrender. He could try and live in this denial as long as he liked, but she was determined to drag him out of it kicking and screaming, if necessary. She put her hands down, looking at him intently. “It’s your real name, the one that your mother gave you. You can’t throw her memory away like that.” 

Clearly, nobody had brought up Shmi Skywalker in years, because the mere mention of her made him retreat half a step, lowering her lightsaber. He didn’t speak, so Leia pressed on. 

“She believes that there’s still good in you,” she said softly, stepping towards him and looking up at his mask. She took a breath, swallowing before speaking again. “And so do I. The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully.”

She stepped back, turning towards the green forest as memories washed over her. The duel in Cloud City that had changed her life, staring at the man who claimed to be her father, and letting herself die rather than join him. At that time, she barely had any skill with the Force. Vader could have snapped her neck at any time, but he chose to battle her with a lightsaber instead. 

“That’s why you couldn’t kill me before,” she said, looking out to the woods so he wouldn’t see the realization on her face. “That’s why you won’t bring me to your Emperor now.” 

For a beat, she waited for him to reply, hoping desperately that her words had gotten through to him. She leaned against the railing, resting her cuffed hands on top of the bar there. The forest around them was strangely peaceful. The most important conversation of her life, and she was surrounded by whispering trees, the tranquility of nightfall, and the gentle flow of the Force around her. In any other situation, she might enjoy standing here overlooking it. 

She heard the hiss of a lightsaber igniting behind her. Her shoulders tensed, and she turned halfway back to look at him. The Imp must have given him her lightsaber. It cast a lavender glow over them both, shining off his black armor and glimmering in the reflection of her eyes. 

“I see you have constructed a new lightsaber,” Vader commented. 

_ Well, some asshole made me lose my old one _ , Leia thought, having to bite her tongue to keep the sarcasm from actually being said out loud. Instead, she watched him turn over her lightsaber in his hands, inspecting it. She focused on the black gloves, noticing the way that his mechanical fingers moved over the different parts, testing to see that they were secure. A wave of longing constricted her throat, making it impossible to reply. Her aunt and uncle always said she got her skill with mechanics from her father, and she could see echoes of that in the assured way that he handled her lightsaber. 

“Your skills are now complete,” he said, and there almost seemed to be a note of pride in his voice. Leia let out a short breath, her shoulders relaxing. Her father was proud of her. Not Vader, but her father. He was still there, and every moment made her believe it more. “Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen.” 

“Fuck the Emperor.” It took Leia a moment to realize that she absolutely should not have said those words, but that didn’t mean that she meant them any less. She turned to him fully, only to find him facing the opposite window, looking off into the forest as she had a moment ago. “You don’t have to keep doing this. Come with me.” 

If she could keep Vader off the Death Star long enough, Palpatine and all his remaining cronies could die within it, and they could escape. She could get her father back, if he would only turn his back on the dark side. As much as it pained her, she couldn’t make that choice. Only he could. She faced him, her calm expression cracking to show the desperate hope in her eyes. 

“Obi Wan once thought as you do,” he said after a moment. He slowly turned towards her, his voice firm, as if he was equally desperate to convince her of his own agenda. “You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master.” 

“Your master?” Leia said incredulously. Logically, she knew that Jedi had masters as well, but she always assumed that was a sign of rank. Her father made it sound like a different kind of master, one that Tatooine was all too familiar with. She grit her teeth, stepping towards him. “Listen to yourself, Father.”

Shmi, Anakin, and who knew how many generations of Skywalkers were born as slaves. Anakin Skywalker had been freed by a Jedi, which allowed his children to escape that life as well. She had always carried that knowledge, even with how much Owen and Beru had tried to keep that ugly past away from her. She raised her chin, stubbornly looking her father in the eye. 

“I was born free,” she said determinedly. “I don’t have a master, and I  _ never _ will. I’m not going to obey the Emperor, so you’ll be forced to kill me.” 

Leia had plenty of worries about falling to the dark side. It was still a possibility that terrified her, one that Vader’s existence only reinforced. She could never be certain that she wouldn’t fall, but she knew damn well that she wasn’t going to become a slave to the Emperor. She would rather die with her freedom intact. 

“If that is your destiny,” was Vader’s only response. It made her want to yell with frustration, but she swallowed it. Was Vader even listening to her? Were her words making any kind of impact? It already felt as if she was failing, but she couldn’t back down, not yet. She had to hope that this was working, even in the most minuscule way. 

“Search your feelings, Father,” she pleaded. “I can feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate!”

For a moment, they just stared at one another, Leia trying to project her faith in him through their Force bond and Vader watching her silently. She knew that he could do this, if he only had the courage. Anakin Skywalker was so brave in every story she had heard about him. Where had that gone?

“It is too late for me, my daughter,” Vader replied quietly. His voice was full of resignation, as if he knew that there was no way out of his life, despite Leia’s desperation to convince him that there was. 

Leia shook her head, wanting to convince him, but the door hissed open behind him, and two stormtroopers stepped out. He must have summoned them. She glanced at them as they stepped behind her, blasters at ready. 

“The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force,” Vader continued, and she looked at him with burning eyes, her lips pressed tightly together in an attempt to suppress the screaming betrayal curling at her throat. “He is your master now.” 

She stared at him for a long moment, unable to speak. All of her convincing, everything that she had tried seemed to bounce off that dark armor of his. Would she ever be able to convince him to turn? She had so much hope for him, genuinely thought that he might be able to turn. She slowly nodded, unhappiness in her gaze, her eyes burning as she fought down her disappointment. 

“Then my father is truly dead.” 

With that, she blinked a few times, trying to bring back her cold mask. It was harder than she expected, but she had a whole ride to the Death Star to bring it back. She stalked to the elevator, the stormtroopers tagging along behind her. She and Vader watched one another until the doors cut them off. 

  
  


Despite needing all the sleep possible in order to be ready for their attack on the compound, Luke could barely sleep that night. Even as he laid against Han’s chest, surrounded by a dozen Ewoks, he spent hours staring into nothingness. 

Leia was his sister. His father was Darth Vader. All his life, he had never wondered about the family that he had been adopted from. Bail and Breha had been more than enough for him, and he only knew a little about his mother. He would never imagine that his closest friend would actually be his sister, but the moment that she explained it, it made so much sense. The connection between them was so immediate from the time that they met. What were the odds that his twin sister would be the one to rescue him from the Death Star? A moment more of thinking about it made him realize that she hadn’t just rescued him from the Death Star, but their shared biological father. 

Stars, his life was a mess. 

He wrapped an arm around Han’s torso, pressing his ear against his heartbeat. Even in his sleep, Han adjusted, sliding his hand around Luke’s back. Luke tried to focus on the sound of his heartbeat, the soft wind flowing through the trees. It was easier than the realization that his own father had been the one to torture him and destroy his home. 

Bail– his real father, not Vader– had said that his mother had been kind and compassionate. What happened to Anakin Skywalker that twisted him from someone that she loved into the monster that was Darth Vader? He knew that he wouldn’t be able to understand it, that it would take research and hours of trying to figure this out in order to find that answer. He didn’t have the time right now. 

Luke Skywalker. In another life, that might have been his name. Luke and Leia Skywalker. He pressed his lips together, taking a slow breath. He would probably stick with Organa. That was the name that he had always known, the name that connected him to his family and home. Besides, he didn’t know if he wanted anyone else to know about this. Han and Chewie, of course, but he didn’t want anyone else to know about his connection to Darth Vader. It was too awful. 

Eventually, even with the anxious thoughts running through his mind, he managed to fall asleep. It felt like he had barely closed his eyes before Han was gently shaking his shoulder to wake him, the soft dawn light filtering through the chilly air. 

They ate a quick breakfast with the Ewoks before meeting up with the rest of the Rebels. Their new tribe sent a few Ewoks along to help them as backup. Han had grumbled at it, but they were rather insistent on protecting their new friends. Luke thought it was adorable, so he let them come along. 

They found a small ridge that overlooked the shield generator. Chewie, Han, and Luke knelt behind a log to inspect the situation, the rest of their team staying hidden within the trees. There was a landing platform and a small building beneath the giant generator. Right as they arrived, a ship on top of the landing platform took off. 

Luke drew in a sharp breath, his eyes fixed on the ship. There was a familiar presence there, two of them. He felt Leia’s warm signature, but even with the power of their bond, her presence was almost drowned out by the icy fury of Darth Vader. It made him shiver, even as the ship began to leave the atmosphere. 

He wanted to reach out, to ask Leia if she was safe, but he was too afraid to try. He didn’t want to alert Vader to their presence; contacting her could put them both in more danger. For now, he figured that it would be best to avoid using their Force bond unless it was absolutely necessary. Besides, they both had other things to focus on at the moment. He took a slow breath, refocusing on the mission. 

“The main entrance to the control bunker’s on the far side of that landing platform,” he explained, scanning their surroundings. It was a difficult entrance, and he wasn’t sure if they would actually be able to get in. He shook his head. “This won’t be easy.”

He turned around, and the three of them sat down behind the log to start planning. 

“Hey, don’t worry,” he assured him, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “Chewie and me got into a lot of places more heavily guarded than this.”

Luke wanted to tell Han exactly how little he believed that, but a chattering from nearby grabbed his attention. Threepio and one of their Ewok scouts, a friendly little fellow named Paploo, were talking rapidly. Luke studied them, trying to figure out what they were saying. His knowledge of Ewokese and their body language was still rudimentary, only based off his own experiences with them. 

“What is it?” He asked, looking at Threepio. 

“He says there’s a secret entrance on the other side of the ridge!” He translated, sounding pleased with himself. Admittedly, they all spoke a few languages, so he didn’t often have such an important role in their plans. He liked getting to contribute. 

Luke looked at Han, a bit of excitement on his face. It was perfect. A secret entrance would be far easier for them to slip into. Han grinned. 

“Lead the way,” he said to Paploo, gesturing to the forest ahead. 

Luke gestured to the rest of their troops to follow them, and they followed him into the woods. He glanced up as they walked, catching a glimpse of the Death Star above beyond the trees. Their fleet was preparing to leave at this moment. There wasn’t a lot of time left to complete the mission. He remembered the ship leaving, with Leia and Vader onboard. Hopefully they weren’t going on the Death Star right now. 

Paploo and Wickett led them through the woods. Luke followed them first, with Han right behind him. Luke reached back, his free hand outstretched to him. Han reached forward, taking it. He gave Luke’s hand a comforting squeeze, making his shoulders relax. No matter what craziness was going on in his life, he had Han with him. That was enough to keep him moving and focused. 

Soon enough, they arrived at a smaller building built into the side of a hill. It peeked out from the woods, a perfect hidden door into the controls for the shield generator. 

“Back door, huh?” Han said, smiling at Luke and kneeling behind the bushes. He nodded to Paploo. “Nice job.”

Paploo and Wickett delved into a discussion in rapid Ewokese. Han, Luke, and Chewie moved a few steps forward to analyze the building. Nobody knew that they were here, this entrance had minimal guards, and it would hopefully lead them right to the controls. It was absolutely perfect, as far as opportunities went. 

“It's only a few guards,” Han commented. “This shouldn't be too much trouble.”

“It only takes one to sound the alarm,” Luke reminded him. Their greatest asset right now– aside from their new Ewok friends, of course– was their secrecy. 

“Then we’ll do it real quiet-like,” he said, turning to Luke and grinning widely. The unearned confidence in his eyes was endearing, but Luke opened his mouth to remind him about the last time that he tried to sneak up on a stormtrooper and how it got them all separated before Threepio interrupted. 

“Oh my, Prince Luke!” He cried, far too loudly for their current position. Luke leapt up, covering his mouth with one hand and raising a finger to his own lips to remind Threepio to keep it down. He had really picked the wrong people for a secret mission. None of them could be stealthy to save their lives. Thankfully, Threepio lowered his voice a bit when he spoke again. “I’m afraid our furry companion has gone and done something rather rash.”

Luke turned to where Threepio was pointing, hearing Chewie groan. In the short time that they had been talking, Paploo wandered down the hill. He was still a safe distance from the bunker and the four scout troopers standing nearby, but he seemed interested in their bikes. 

“Don’t get on the speeder bike,” Luke whispered, his eyes full of worry. Why did so many members of his team immediately leap onto those when given the opportunity? 

Paploo crawled onto the speeder bike, getting comfortable on the seat. Luke groaned, rubbing his forehead. 

“There goes our surprise attack,” Han sighed. 

Paploo pressed a few different buttons on the bike, as if trying to figure out how to turn it on. Somehow, it worked, because the engine began humming. It drew the attention of the stormtroopers nearby. 

“Look, over there!” One shouted. “Stop him!” 

At that moment, Paploo hit just the right button. The engine roared, and he grabbed the handles, shoving them forward with a giddy squeal. The sound of his excitement echoed through the forest as the bike zoomed forward, flying into the depths of the forest. The scout troopers scrambled to their bikes, leaping onboard and flying after him. They were hot on his tail after a few moments, leaving only one trooper behind. He watched his companions leave, his own speeder bike in the hands of an Ewok. 

The Rebels stared for a moment. In a few actions and one impulsive decision, Paploo had drawn the majority of their enemy forces away. There was only one scout trooper left to guard the door. Luke grinned widely. Apparently his forces had come in handy. Han looked equal parts impressed and stunned. 

“Not bad for a little furball,” he admitted, turning back to raise his eyebrows at Luke. “There’s only one left.” 

Luke nodded, turning to Threepio. Wickett was standing over by Artoo, and he wanted to keep it that way. While he appreciated their help, he didn’t want any of the Ewoks getting hurt fighting their war. 

“Stay here,” he told Threepio, gesturing for Han to take their troops around. “We can handle this, so you guys stay out of danger, okay?”

Threepio, not known for his bravery, agreed immediately. Artoo beeped his displeasure at being left behind, but he settled to a quiet grumble as Threepio rested a hand on his dome. 

They had a foolproof plan to take care of the last guard. Han ran behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. When he chased him around the corner of the bunker, Rex grabbed him. At gunpoint, he gave up the right code to get them inside. Stormtroopers were rarely known for being the most intelligent members of the Empire. 

Han insisted on leading the charge alongside Luke, with Rex and Chewie flanking them from the sides along with two more soldiers guarding their backs. The rest of their team stayed outside to guard the door. Hopefully nobody knew of their presence at this point, but they had to have an extra layer of protection. 

Luke took a deep breath, stepping forward into the darkness of the building. His blaster was in his hand, ready to go. He could only hope that Leia was having the same luck that they were. 

  
  


She was not. 

After their conversation in the hallway, Leia’s father had stubbornly ignored any of her attempts to get through to him. After a ride in the shuttle that felt twice as long as it actually was, she had given up on talking altogether. While she would normally want to keep talking until he broke down, it was easier to focus on repeating the Jedi mantra in her head and hope that it would keep her calm enough to face what was ahead. 

Leia didn’t really know what she had expected from her somewhat impulsive decision to go after Vader. Optimistically, he would have immediately defected and helped her destroy the shield generator, and they could deal with the rest later. At worst, she figured that she would die quickly, as she had no intention of working for the Empire. Now, she was being taken up to the Death Star to face the Emperor himself, the man that even Darth Vader seemed to fear. 

Despite the power of the Empire, very little was known about the man who headed it. Yoda had specifically warned Leia to not underestimate his powers, but he hadn’t elaborated on that. Force powers? Manipulative powers? Political powers? She had no idea. If her father was afraid of him, then she should probably be terrified. She was more nervous than she cared to admit, but she was doing her best to stay calm. This was the time to be in control of her fear and anger. Despite all her efforts to stay calm, there was an insistent thought that refused to leave her mind: Did she stand a chance against the combined power of the Emperor and Vader? 

The darkly realistic part of her said no, but she ignored it. She couldn’t be doubting herself, not right now. 

She silently walked alongside her father as they wove through the hallways of the Death Star. Despite looking skeletal and unfinished from the outside, everything that she saw seemed pristine and functional, which set a feeling of uneasiness in her bones, though she was unsure why. 

Leia stubbornly looked forward as they walked, wanting to keep up her calm demeanor. The only outward sign of her uneasiness was the twitching of her hands in the cuffs in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Vader. He showed no outward emotion, which she would have been envious of if it hadn’t been for his mask, which was technically cheating. Through the Force, she probed slightly at his emotions, trying to see what he was feeling. She could feel humming anticipation, the chilling anger that he always carried, and a surprising sensation of uneasiness that matched her own. 

They reached an elevator guarded by two Red Guards, seemingly nothing but red robes and pike staffs. At the sight of Vader, they stepped aside, leaving room for the door to open. It was as if the elevator had been waiting for them, and Leia recalled the first words that her father had said to her on Endor.  _ The Emperor has been expecting you. _

She stepped inside alongside Vader, taking a deep breath. The doors silently shut, closing them in together. It was the first time since their conversation on the bridge that they had been alone. An impulse took hold of Leia, and she turned, looking at him fully. She had to know one thing before they died here. 

“What was my mother’s name?” She asked, a touch of desperation in her voice. She looked at him, a new form of pleading in her eyes. She had lived so long without any knowledge of her mother, and she didn’t know if she would survive to find out on her own. 

There was a beat of silence, and for a moment she thought that he would be as stony silent as he had been on the ship. She shook her head, turning back forward. As much as she believed in him, he continued to let her down. 

Finally, his wheezing breaths paused, and he spoke. 

“Padmé,” he finally said, a raw regret in his voice. The sound shook Leia even more than the name itself, but she made a point to commit it to memory. “Padmé Amidala.” 

The tiny scrap of knowledge only made Leia want to know more. Who was Padmé Amidala? Why did Vader sound so regretful when he said her name? What happened to her? 

She had no more time to ponder those questions, because the elevator had slowed. She was about to face the Emperor. Taking a deep breath, she tried to recenter herself, pulling the placid mask back over her face. She straightened her shoulders. No matter how she felt, she refused to show the Emperor her fear. When the doors opened, she walked out without hesitation, stepping in front of her father with her head held high. As he followed her, she was unaware of the way he watched her, a small part of him awed by her strength. 

Leia Skywalker was ready to face her destiny, even if it meant death. 

The Emperor’s throne room was a grand nightmare. It was artfully designed, but tainted with darkness that clung to every corner like sliming mold. There were towering circular windows to look out into the vastness of space, but they were cut across with metal bars, as if to prevent any kind of escape. A small bridge overlooked a seemingly endless abyss, a strange smell of gas curling at the banks. Leia and her father ascended the grand staircase towards the Emperor’s chair, notably placed at the highest point in the room. She briefly glanced up, seeing a catwalk above their heads. A flash of smugness went through her. Despite his best efforts to be above everyone else, the Emperor wasn’t quite at the highest point in the room. 

She was prepared to keep walking, right up to the Emperor and look down at him in his throne, but her father grabbed her arm to stop her. He released her as the Emperor’s chair turned to face her, bowing forward. Stars, he was embarrassing. She fixed her gaze on the chair, wanting to see what kind of man could make the fearsome Darth Vader bow. 

An old, wizened man was almost completely swathed by the dark cloak that he wore, the only spot of light in his white face. Leia was baffled. She hadn’t expected the Emperor to look so frail, so ancient. However, even with his unassuming figure, she could feel twisted darkness inside him, like the gnarled branches of an old tree. How could Darth Vader be so afraid of someone who seemed so weak? 

“Welcome, young Skywalker,” he said, sounding like the strangest mix of a toad and a kindly grandfather. She met his gaze, seeing yellow irises gleaming with interest beneath the darkened pits of his eyes. “I have been expecting you.” His gaze moved downward to her cuffs. “You’ll no longer need those.” 

He lifted a single finger, and the cuffs unlocked from her wrists, clattering down to the ground. Leia’s lips parted slightly, and she drew in a sharp breath. The Emperor was a Sith. Behind that unassuming figure, there was power, the ability to wield the Force. She had suspected, but now she knew for certain what she was up against. 

“Guards,” he called. “Leave us.” 

Leia watched him, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but she could already feel adrenaline running through her, preparing her for whatever fight laid ahead. She watched him with a stone expression, her eyes steady. 

“I’m looking forward to completing your training,” he continued once they were alone. At least she was slightly less outnumbered now, if overpowered. “In time you will call me master.” 

He sounded so confident that Leia wanted to laugh. He had no idea what was coming. Yes, she was entirely out of her depth here. She was alone, a single fledgling Jedi, against two Sith Lords who had ruled the galaxy for two decades. However, they weren’t the only players in this game. She had a team of Rebels at her back, and soon, they would blow this station to pieces along with the three of them. The galaxy would be safe. That was worth dying for. 

“I will never call you master,” she snapped, a controlled fire burning in her eyes. “You have no control over me.” 

“I already control you,” he responded, an assured venom in his words. He stood, the small platform beneath his throne raising him just above the both of them. He looked down at Leia, leaning over her. She glared up at him, unyielding despite his attempts to intimidate her. 

As Leia stubbornly returned the Emperor’s gaze, she saw something in his eyes, felt it through the Force. It was just the slightest crack in his arrogance: Fear. Fear of the blazingly powerful Skywalker child, with all of her father’s ferocity and all of her mother’s intelligence. No matter how insignificant he tried to make her feel, she knew. All of this intimidation was coming from his fear that she would best him, that she was more powerful. Some of the weight dropped from Leia’s shoulders. This was not hopeless, no matter how it felt. 

“Her lightsaber,” Vader said, holding out the weapon. His words broke the silent battle between them, shifting the Emperor’s gaze away from Leia. She blinked a few times, taking a breath. 

“Ah, yes,” the Emperor said, taking it and holding it up to inspect it. His grasp had none of Vader’s mechanical expertise. Instead he looked at it like it was a piece of art he might want to purchase, to store in a gallery behind glass walls. “A Jedi’s weapon, much like your father’s.” 

Leia’s eyes were pulled towards her father’s with those words. What was he thinking? He seemed to stand beside her like a droid that had been turned off, silent and still, awaiting new orders. The Emperor pounced on her brief change in attention, spotting her weakness immediately. 

“By now you must know that your father can never be turned from the dark side,” he said cruelly, narrowing his eyes at her. “So will it be with you.” 

She returned her glare to him, an impulsive flash rising up in her. She hated that he could see her hopes so easily, but she was more than happy to prove him wrong, even if it was a bit stupid to admit. 

“You’re wrong,” she said coldly, her hands curling into fists. A dark smile grew on her face. “Soon I’ll be dead, and you with me.” 

She would happily die with the Death Star if it meant taking two Sith Lords with her. A part of her would regret that she couldn’t turn Vader back to the light, but hopefully she would be too dead to care. 

She had hoped that the words would startle the Emperor into confusion, to finally have the triumph of outsmarting him, but her hopes were dashed by laughter. Confident, short laughter from the Emperor’s dark lips, his face twisted with delight. 

“Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet,” he said, grinning. Leia’s smile disappeared, and he chuckled. “Yes. I assure you, we are quite safe from your friends here.” 

He turned to move back to his throne, a look of disgust on his face. Leia set her jaw. Perhaps he knew about the fleet’s attack, but he didn’t know about her team. No matter how confident he was, there was still hope. Even if they had the shield, there were still Rebels who were going to attack the base. Even if he was completely assured that she would turn like her father, it wouldn’t happen. 

“Your overconfidence is your weakness,” she warned, a thread of rage lining the words. 

He turned back sharply. “Your emotions are yours.” 

Leia had to fight to not respond to that jab, gritting her teeth. It would only prove him right. She had to keep control of her emotions, not let them get the better of her here. She took a deep breath, unclenching her fists. 

“It is pointless to resist, my daughter,” Vader said, his voice void of feeling. All that seemed to be left in him was the machine. Perhaps Ben was right about that. Perhaps Vader wasn’t going to turn back, which meant that Leia had to focus on herself. She wouldn’t fall. She couldn’t. 

“Don’t call me that,” she replied shortly, unsuccessfully trying to keep the pain from her voice. She looked over at him, adamant determination in her eyes. “My father wouldn’t stand by as someone hurt his child.”

Watching Vader do nothing, simply stand by as the Emperor played on her emotions and pain, hurt even more than his refusal to go with her. A father who didn’t help her, didn’t even seem to care about her, was no father at all. Perhaps Anakin Skywalker was dead. The thought was unhappy, but she ignored it. Dwelling on her pain would only take her closer to the dark side. 

Before them, Emperor Palpatine settled comfortably onto his throne, Leia’s lightsaber in one hand. He looked content with the scene before him. 

“Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design,” he told her. “Your friends up there on the sanctuary moon are walking into a trap, as is your Rebel fleet. It was  _ I _ who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them.” He leaned forward, a fake pity in his eyes. “Oh, I’m afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive.” 

He laughed cruelly, and the sound seemed to echo around them, drowning out any hopes that Leia might have had and plunging her into despair. If that was true, then all of her friends could be killed, Luke and Han and Chewie, everyone that she loved would die. They were walking into traps and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Trying to warn Luke would only alert the Emperor to his existence, and she couldn’t let that happen. But if she couldn’t stop this, then her friends would die, the Alliance would be obliterated, and she would be alone against the Sith, for real this time. 

If she fell to the dark, there would be nobody left to bring her back.

Luke’s team moved through the winding halls of the facility with an impressive speed. There were few stormtroopers in the halls, and they were easily overpowered by Luke’s team. It was surprisingly easy. They arrived at the door to the control room, blasting it open with a spare charge. 

The three technicians looked stunned to see invaders, and Han quickly herded them into the corner. 

“Come on!” He snapped, stepping into the control booth. “Quickly, quickly!” 

Chewie took over guarding them so Han could get started on the charges, just as they planned. Luke tapped a few buttons on the computer, trying to figure out if he could shut it down manually. The fleet would be arriving at any moment. The computer beeped in error, and he grimaced. He wouldn’t be able to take it down on his own. 

“Three charges to each control panel,” Luke ordered, turning to his men. He wanted to ensure that they destroyed as many of the controls as possible. “Throw seven in the generator tunnel. Save the rest for the generator itself.” 

Rex tossed Han a bag, and he opened it, beginning to pull out the charges. 

“Freeze!” An Imperial officer seemed to come from nowhere, and Han retaliated by throwing the entire bag of chargers at him. With a shriek, both he and the bag went over the railing and into the generator tunnel. 

It was their last victory. In a split second, dozens more stormtroopers and officers seemed to come from nowhere, surrounding all of them almost immediately. Han instinctively pushed Luke behind him, putting himself between the prince and the majority of the battalion. Luke stared at their surroundings, bewildered. They hadn’t set off any alarms, they had quietly taken care of every stormtrooper, what alerted the Imperials to their presence? 

“You rebel scum,” the leading Imperial officer sneered, looking at Han with disgust. 

Han, for his part, looked immensely offended by the comment. He put his hands on his hips, raising his eyebrows. “Scum?” 

The Imps didn’t respond to him, focusing on forcing the rebels to give up their weapons. The soldiers looked at Luke, waiting to see what he would do. He pressed his lips together, knowing the right choice. They hadn’t set up enough charges to take out the station even if they managed to hold off the stormtroopers long enough to blow them. They would die for nothing. 

Unhappily, he nodded to his team. If they surrendered, they had a chance to reevaluate the situation and try again. They could do nothing dead. The soldiers followed his example, handing over their weapons. 

The monitor on the far wall flashed, showing a fleet of ships arriving at the Death Star. The Rebel fleet had arrived, and they didn’t know that Luke’s team had failed. Despair crashed onto him. Without the shield being down, the fleet would be slaughtered. He couldn’t even warn them. His first time leading a mission, and he had failed. 

  
  


It only took a few moments for Leia to realize that the Emperor was right. Against the darkness of space, she saw the Rebel fleet appear, only to be met with dozens of Star Destroyers that seemed to appear from nowhere. Almost immediately, flashes of red and green fire began to explode as the two fleets attacked one another. 

Caution forgotten at the sight of her friends being caught in battle, Leia moved closer to the wide window, past the Emperor’s throne. Nobody stopped her; they must have wanted her to see this. From her vantage point, far enough from the fleets to see their sizes, she could tell that the Rebellion was vastly outmatched. Without being able to attack the Death Star, they would be destroyed. 

“From here, you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your insignificant rebellion,” the Emperor spat from behind her. 

She turned back sharply towards him, her eyes blazing. He planned all of this just to force her to watch her friends die? The entire Rebellion, all of their forces, would be wiped out in a single battle. Boiling hatred rose in her. 

“You put a lot of work into destroying something so insignificant,” she snarled at him, her eyes lowering to settle on her lightsaber, sitting at his right hand. Her hand twitched, wanting to use the Force to summon it to her hand and cut this monster down once and for all. He noticed where her gaze fell, and grinned. 

“You want this, don’t you?” He murmured, moving his hand to stroke lightly across the silver metal. “The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it, I am unarmed. Strike me down with it, give into your anger.” Leia swallowed hard, holding herself stubbornly still. This was what he wanted, but every part of her wanted to scream and tear him to pieces. Screw the Jedi weapon, she would rip him apart with her bare hands. “With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant.” 

That made her lip curl in disgust, and she stepped back. No matter how angry he made her, she couldn’t do this. Killing an unarmed man in rage was a step to the dark side, and she couldn’t let herself do it. A part of her screamed that it would be justice, that it would be right to kill a man who had caused so much pain. She had never thought that her Jedi rules would contradict her personal morals, and it was agonizing. She forced herself to turn away, watching her fleet instead. 

“Bite me,” she said stiffly, trying to let out the burning anger in her in short, harmless doses. The Emperor only chuckled. 

“It is unavoidable,” he replied, stating it as if it were the simplest fact in the world. “It is your destiny.” 

Leia turned towards him, her eyes burning. Everyone always talked about her destiny, as if it was written in the stars for everyone to read except for her. Vader, Ben, Yoda. Everyone seemed to think that her life was already set in stone. She hated it. She made her own destiny, not old men who thought they could control her. 

“You have no fucking say in my destiny,” she snapped. 

“You are mine,” he said, his raspy voice nearly a hiss. “Just like your father.” 

Leia trembled with rage, struggling to keep herself from moving. Every word out of the Emperor’s mouth made her want to kill him more, and the whispering need for justice in the back of her mind urged her to do it. She turned back to the fleet, taking in a shuddering breath. She had to control herself. She couldn’t fall to the dark side. 

Luke wanted to reach out to Han, to hold his hand for support, but he couldn’t afford to look weak in front of his men. A prince– no, a general– had to be the one providing strength for his men, not seeking it. With great effort, he kept his back straight and his chin high as they were led outside at blaster-point. 

The woods were even more disheartening. In the brief time that they were in the bunker, two full battalions of stormtroopers had arrived, along with dozens of Imperial officers and two AT-ST walkers. Luke’s mouth dropped open slightly, a horror and realization setting in. This was a trap. They had been set up. 

He looked over at Han, seeing that his mouth was set into a grim line. He had come to the same conclusion. 

“Alright, move it!” An officer snapped, and a stormtrooper jabbed Luke in the side with his blaster. He barely suppressed a flinch, pressing his lips together. Their team filed over to where their captured comrades were being held at gunpoint. As he put his hands on his head, Luke scanned their group, counting their men. They all seemed to be there, save for Leia and… 

He frowned. The droids weren’t there. He would expect Threepio to try to hide, but that wouldn’t work with his golden body. Artoo would definitely be causing a problem if they had been found, and Luke didn’t hear yelling. What happened to his droids? 

“Hello!” A familiar voice called, with a posh, tinny accent that he had grown up hearing. Slowly, he looked up to the hillside, where a familiar droid was waving cheerfully to the gathered masses of stormtroopers. It drew the attention of all the Imperial forces. “I say, over there! Were you looking for me?” 

“What the…” Luke breathed, staring at his droid. Han seemed equally baffled, staring at the droid with shock. He didn’t have a high opinion of the droid, Luke knew, but they both thought he was smarter than this. 

“Bring the droids down here!” An officer yelled, and a dozen stormtroopers hurried up the ridge to grab his droids. 

Luke sighed, shaking his head and shooting Han a rueful glance. Maybe next time they could leave him with the rest of the Rebellion during their next mission, if they had one. They were trapped on Endor without any backup, and all their friends were either captured or being shot down above them. 

Suddenly, horns echoed through the forest. Luke looked up, scanning their surroundings. It wasn’t something Imperial, because their guards looked even more confused than the rebels. Chewie roared, and excited chittering returned his call. Han looked at Luke with wide eyes. 

The seemingly empty forest exploded into movement as hundreds of Ewoks emerged from the greenery, bows and arrows at the ready. They launched into attack, firing at the soldiers and sending the clearing into chaos. The stormtroopers were clearly unprepared for any kind of attack from the natives, and they scrambled for cover. Han launched into action immediately, Chewie following his lead. 

“Go!” Luke shouted to the rest of his team, and they immediately fought back, attacking their distracted captors in order to get their blasters back. He kicked a distracted soldier, knocking him to the ground and scrambling for his blaster. Once it was in his hands, he aimed upwards, firing at the soldiers working the AT-STs. They dropped to the ground one by one, but he had to bolt towards the base as the weapon turned on him. 

Several technicians and officers ran for the safety of the base when the attack came, leaving their stormtroopers to fend for themselves. The doors closed behind them just before Luke reached it, and he groaned, turning back to shoot at the remaining soldiers. Han soon joined him, backing against the walls as he fired. 

“Looks like the teddy bears make good allies, don’t they?” He said, shooting Han a smile. 

“Sweetheart, I never doubted you,” he replied, winking briefly at the prince before returning his attention to the stormtroopers ahead. 

The majority of the regiments had scattered into the forest, likely going after the Ewoks. Based on how clever their small friends had been before, Luke was willing to bet that they had some traps set deeper in the woods. Good allies, indeed. Luke and Han used their position to fire at the scattered stormtroopers in the woods, taking them out as they ran by. 

With Han covering him, Luke moved to the control panel. He still remembered the code that they had gotten from the scout, but when he typed it in, the door remained locked. He pressed his lips together, stepping back to keep firing. 

“The code’s changed,” he told Han, his free hand scrambling for his comlink. “We’ll need Artoo.” 

Han glanced back, spotting the computer terminal that would allow Artoo to access the Imperial network and open the doors. “Here’s the terminal.”

After he pointed it out, he moved to allow Luke to duck behind him. He pulled out the comlink, speaking into it as he examined the terminal. 

“Artoo, where are you?” He asked, sparing a glance to the greenery and chaos of the forest outside. “We need you at the bunker right away.” 

[I’m coming,] he answered immediately. 

Luke nodded to Han, and they continued firing on the remaining stormtroopers, hoping to clear some space for his arrival. The Imperials were beginning to regroup from their initial surprise. Luke had seen enough battles to know that their forces were outmatched in terms of size and ammunition. They had the upper hand now, but it was only a matter of time before the Imps began coming after them once more. 

However, it did seem like the Ewoks were holding their own. The doorway of the bunker didn’t offer much cover, but the stormtroopers who lined up to fire at them were overtaken by several furious teddy bears. As much as Luke hated the fact that they were being pulled into this war, even if they were only doing it in protection of the new members of their tribe, he had to smile at their ferocity. 

“We’re coming!” Threepio wailed, hurrying over to the bunker with Artoo in tow. Luke wasn’t sure why he was coming, seeing as he only asked for Artoo, but he supposed that the two of them were a package deal at this point. Blaster fire flew past the droids as they made their way to the bunker, making Threepio cry out and Artoo beep at him in mocking laughter for it. 

“Han, cover us!” Luke called, clearing some space for Artoo to get to the computer terminal. 

Artoo rolled up to the terminal, putting his computer arm into the socket. It always took him a moment to navigate a new computer system. 

“Oh, Artoo, hurry!” Threepio cried unhelpfully. 

While Han and Luke did their best to cover Artoo while he worked, there were too many stormtroopers for two people to account for them all. A stormtrooper got in a lucky shit, blasting the connection between Artoo and the terminal. The resulting electronic surge shot him backwards, and he hit the opposing wall hard. 

Threepio rushed over to his friend while Luke stared. Han tracked down the stormtrooper that got the lucky shot in and took him out before he could hit anyone else. Artoo trembled, surges of electricity running wildly through his body, all of his compartments opening and shutting wildly. 

[ShitfuckshitshitshitshitOWWWWWW!] He screeched, several sparks exploding from his shell before he fell silent with a shudder. 

“Oh Artoo, why did you have to be so brave?” Threepio asked mournfully. 

Luke shot Han a worried look. He shrugged helplessly, then slowly turned to the control panel. 

“Well,” he said after a moment. “I suppose I could hot-wire this thing.” 

Luke had seen some of Han’s attempts to fix technology without Chewbacca’s help, so he had some doubts about that, but right now all they could do was trust one another. He moved in front of Han, scanning the forest around them for white helmets and firing at each one that he saw. 

“I’ll cover you.” 

  
  


“As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed,” the Emperor taunted. Leia turned towards him, her eyes burning with rage. Her only choices were to watch her friends in the Rebellion die or look at the man who wanted to twist her into a monster. Both only made her angrier, which was likely the point. “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station.” He pressed a button for the comlink on his throne. “Fire at will, commander.” 

Leia’s face paled. Fully armed and operational? The Rebellion had been told that it was still under construction. The reason that they were taking the risk of attacking was because they thought it wasn’t a planet killer yet. Unable to speak, she looked between the Emperor and the fleet, desperately hoping that it was a bluff. 

The ground beneath them trembled, the half-finished station barely able to handle the sheer power that it was wielding. A brilliant green beam lit up the throne room. Almost immediately, one of the largest Rebel cruisers was blown to nothingness. The white light of the explosion illuminated the horror on Leia’s face.

Luke had told her about seeing Alderaan blown to pieces by the Death Star. He talked about the green flash, the strangeness of his planet being there one moment and obliterated the next. Later, after he admitted his Force sensitivity, he talked about feeling Alderaan die, hearing the screams as all his people were killed. Leia didn’t truly understand until now. The Rebels onboard had only felt pain for a moment, but it was so agonizing that she could scarcely breathe for a moment. As quickly as it disappeared, burning rage took its place. 

The Emperor had done this purely to hurt her. He orchestrated an attack on his own base in order to draw them into a fight they couldn’t win, all to turn another Skywalker towards the dark side. She had to kill him. She had to end his manipulations and his Empire. It didn’t matter that she really, really wanted to be the one to kill him; it had to be done. 

There was a nagging thought at the back of her mind, the smallest hesitation. He was unarmed, and if she killed him now, it would violate the Jedi Code. Another green blast blew apart a Rebel ship, and a flash of light revealed the dark smile on the Emperor’s face, pure delight at the pain that he was causing. Leia snapped. 

Reaching out through the Force, she drew the lightsaber to her hand and ignited it. She swung at the Emperor’s head, her teeth bared in hatred. Before she could finish the job, a red blade cut in front of her, blocking her strike. 

The Emperor cackled, clearly pleased with her reaction. Furious that her father would try to stop her, Leia turned her gaze on him. Ignoring the Emperor for a moment– she was fairly certain that there was no way in hell he could outrun her– she swung her lightsaber again, pressing Vader back with a series of powerful strikes. 

They moved away from the Emperor, but there was a sharp difference in the way they fought on Cloud City and the way she attacked now. She had once held the lightsaber with both hands for steadiness, because she wasn’t sure of her ability to control its power otherwise. Now, her two-handed grip had become a strength, allowing her to strike at Vader with more and more force. Each strike was fueled by fresh anger and hatred, flowing through her veins like a wave of icy water. 

There was a part of her that raged against both Palpatine and her father. The Emperor had hurt so many of the people she loved, caused so much death and destruction in the galaxy, and somehow turned her father against her. Her father wasn’t brave to go with her, too fearful of a fragile old man to even confront the conflict in himself. Even if he couldn’t resist the Emperor’s commands, why defend him from Leia, who could have happily removed the problem by removing his head? 

Rage fueling her movements, she drove him back to the edge of the platform with her lightsaber. 

_ Coward! _ She screamed through their bond, a wave of anger coming with it. She stepped forward and kicked him hard, sending him flying down the stairs and rolling across the floor. Watching him stumble brought her a brief flash of dark pleasure. However, by screaming at him in their bond, she opened herself up to the Force enough to feel a strong emotion emanate from him. 

Misery. 

Her father reeked of unhappiness, complete hopelessness rising in him. It made Leia pause at the top of the stairs, her heart pounding. She didn’t understand. Why was he feeling this way if he was still defending the Emperor? She had all but given up on him still being conflicted about helping her, but something about this wasn’t right. 

“Good!” The Emperor called, sounding absolutely delighted, in sharp contrast to the misery of her father. “Use your aggressive feelings, girl!” 

Leia froze. That was exactly what she had done. Without bloodlust blinding her, she realized that the cold power in her was the dark side. She took a breath, her hands shaking. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t use the dark side. The cruel voice of the Emperor only egged that side of her on further, so she tried to block him out. Vader was miserable, he was conflicted. This wasn’t what he wanted, she just knew it. A surge of warm hope rose in her chest. There was still a chance. She just had to get through to him. 

“Obi-Wan has taught you well,” he commented, stepping forward. 

“Father,” she said, stepping to the edge of the stairs to look down at him. “We’re better than this.” 

The Emperor had worked too hard to try to turn another Skywalker. Something about their lineage and their power terrified him. If Vader would take her side, the Emperor didn’t stand a chance against him. They could still succeed. Leia refused to fall to the dark side, and she knew that Vader had that strength in him too. It might be buried by decades of cowardice, but she wouldn’t give up on it completely. 

He walked up the stairs, lightsaber still ignited in his hand. For a moment, Leia was hopeful that he had a change in heart, but the raised lightsaber said otherwise. She stepped back defensively, her eyes fixed on his mask. 

“You are unwise to lower your defenses!” He snapped, striking at her. 

Leia immediately reignited her lightsaber, blocking his blows. It came more easily than expected. She stood strong against his attacks, not letting his blade near her. One defensive block lasted for a long moment, the lightsabers shrieking as they pressed against one another. No matter how he struck, she didn’t let him drive her backwards. She wouldn’t strike at him, but she damn well didn’t want to retreat either. The Sith would not intimidate her. 

“Listen to me, Father!” She snapped, blocking one of his overhead blows. He didn’t relent on trying to shove her lightsaber back, but she stood strong, her tiny body standing firm against his onslaught. Her eyes locked on his mask, unwavering. “He is afraid of you, afraid of us! You don’t have to serve him!” 

He responded with a roar, swinging the lightsaber at her viciously. She grit her teeth, jumping back. As his next blow neared her, she called on the Force to leap backwards, cleanly flipping onto the catwalk above, where she could look down on both Vader and the Emperor. It was a really good feeling. 

Finally able to take a breath, she deactivated her lightsaber, running a hand through her short hair. It wasn’t in her face, but an old habit of brushing back the stray strands from her braid. 

“I can feel your thoughts, Father,” she said, walking across the catwalk with her eyes locked on him. She would use the title until it really sunk in. He had seemed so proud to be her father once, offering her the galaxy, but now he seemed to push that away. “I can feel your unhappiness, your conflict.”

“There is no conflict,” he intoned, his voice heavy. It only made her more certain that she was right. 

“You haven’t killed me yet,” she pointed out, raising her eyebrows. “You’ve had so many opportunities to end this, and you haven’t. I don’t think you will now.” 

“You underestimate the power of the dark side,” Vader replied. “If you will not fight, you will meet your destiny.”

With that, he threw the lightsaber at the catwalk. Leia’s eyes went wide, and she leapt backwards, twisting herself in the air to land on her feet. The shower of sparks and crashing of the catwalk covered her, so she used the distraction to dart beneath the platform, into the shadows of the room. If her father couldn’t find her, he couldn’t kill her. She had to get through to him without their fight getting in the way. 

Vader descended the stairs in search of her, his cape flowing behind him. There was a clatter and hiss as he drew the lightsaber to his hand, activating it. The red glow lit his way as he stepped beneath the platform.

The Emperor laughed, his delight echoing through the room. “Good, good.”

Leia forced down her annoyance. It had to be clear to Vader that he was setting them against one another, right? He was the true enemy, playing the powerful Skywalkers against one another in hopes of finding the strongest one. Instead of allowing her irritation to speak out again, she closed her eyes, repeating the Jedi mantra in her head. 

_ There is no emotion, there is peace _ . 

Taking a deep breath, she was able to call that peace back again. The warmth of the light side of the Force wrapped around her protectively, but the tendrils of darkness still curled nearby, ready to leap to her aid if she called for it.    


“I think I got it!” Han yelled triumphantly. Luke smiled, relieved. They had to get into that bunker. If they didn’t get the shield down soon, the Rebellion would be slaughtered. “I got it!” 

Luke glanced back, halfway preparing to run into the base as soon as the door opened, but instead, a second set of reinforced doors shut across the first, making it even harder to get inside. Han made a face, and Luke raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. All of this time together, and he still trusted Han when he celebrated prematurely. When would they learn? 

Because he was still looking back, he was caught completely off-guard when a stormtrooper hit him with a blaster bolt, the laser fire knocking him backwards. He cried out in pain, his right shoulder burning with pain. 

Han abandoned the hot-wiring, kneeling and pulling him back so he leaned against the back wall of the doorway. Even the gentlest touch on his arm made him grimace, but he managed to swallow down another cry. Han’s face was tight with worry, all his attention focused on the prince. 

“Prince Luke, are you alright?” Threepio asked worriedly. 

“Let’s see,” Han said quietly, reaching for his poncho. Luke shook his head. 

“I’m okay,” he assured him, trying for a smile that disappeared as soon as he looked behind them. 

“Freeze!” A stormtrooper ordered from behind Han. Two of them had their blasters at the ready, focused on the smuggler. Han went still, but his body was blocking most of Luke, who had been ignored because he was injured. “Don’t move.” 

Han kept his eyes on Luke, concern flashing across his face as he tried to think of ways to protect him. Luke had no such worry. Even with how painful the blaster shot had been, he hadn’t dropped his own weapon. It was clutched in his left hand, held off to the side to avoid being seen by the stormtroopers. Han noticed, a slow smile spreading across his face. 

“Oh, I love you,” he said fondly, smiling. Luke beamed at him, even with the pain of his shoulder. 

“I know,” he replied, warmth in his eyes. 

“Hands up!” The stormtroopers ordered. Han complied, still smiling at Luke. “Stand up.”

As soon as Han stood, Luke leaned forward. His shoulder screamed with pain, but he fought through it. He lifted the blaster and fired twice, trusting in the Force to guide his aim. He hit both of the stormtroopers in the center of their chests, and they fell to the ground before even realizing what hit them. 

Luke sighed in relief, falling back against the door. He smiled softly up at Han, but the smuggler’s gaze turned elsewhere. The mechanical footsteps of an AT-ST had stopped right by them. His heart went cold. There were still more out there? 

“Stay back,” Han said, glancing briefly at him. His hands raised, he stepped out into full view of the walker, resignation on his face. Luke shook his head worriedly, trying to push himself up. He had almost lost Han once, he wouldn’t let it happen again. Right as he opened his mouth to protest, Han’s eyes widened, a relieved smile breaking across his face. “Chewie!”

Luke heard Chewbacca roar in response, and he forced himself to his feet, clutching his arm. 

“Get down here, he’s wounded!” Han continued. 

“No, wait!” Luke said, coming around the side of the doorway. Han wrapped an arm around his back, frowning down at him. Luke looked at the walker, a touch of a smile on his lips. “I have an idea.” 

Han looked confused for the briefest of moments, then turned his gaze to the doors. A slow grin spread across his face as he caught on to what Luke was thinking. He looked down at him with pride and affection shining in his eyes. 

“Did I mention that I love you?” He murmured, turning and brushing a hand across Luke’s cheek. Luke leaned into the touch, smiling. 

“You did, but I’m always happy to hear it again.” 

The plan worked perfectly. They had one of their human soldiers go into the walker, using a controller’s helmet to trick the base into thinking that their forces had succeeded. Soon enough, the two doors opened before them, and the remainder of the Empire’s Endor forces ran out, eager to help their comrades. 

Instead, they found a small army of Ewoks, a reclaimed AT-ST walker, and Rebel soldiers. Luke stood on top of the bunker, Wickett and several of his other Ewok friends at his side. Even with blood staining his shoulder, Luke’s grip on the blaster was steady, a cool smile on his face. Han cut off their exit into the bunker, shrugging at them with a smug grin. Against all odds, they had taken Endor. 

Han refused to let Luke go in to set charges while he was injured. Luke rolled his eyes, but secretly liked the smuggler’s protective side. He let him take the weight of leadership for the last bit of the mission, staying beside his other wounded soldiers as they watched their allies hurry inside with dozens of charges. 

“General,” one soldier sitting beside him spoke, and Luke turned towards him. Their medic was bandaging a blaster wound on his leg, as Luke had insisted that all his soldiers get medical care before his mere shoulder wound. “How did you know that the Ewoks would make such good allies?” 

Luke blinked, shaking his head. Did his team really think that he had befriended the Ewoks as a tactical decision? They were his friends, not a backup plan. He wondered if all of the soldiers thought that he calculated all of these different things so easily, when he really just stumbled into helpful situations. 

“I didn’t,” he told him. “We just found each other. I honestly wanted them to stay out of the fighting, but apparently they liked us.” 

He smiled ruefully at the thought. He had just wanted to help his little friend out when they met, keep him safe from the Imperials, but he had gained allies and a whole tribe of friends because of it. Apparently, diplomacy was a skill that lended itself to any situation. He gave all the credit to his training as the prince of Alderaan, barely considering his own friendly nature as a factor. 

The soldier looked like he had more questions, but they were distracted by the horde of rebels running out the bunker doors at top speed, bolting towards the safety of the trees. Han and Chewie dove over the ridge, landing close to Luke. They all sat up straight, staring at the bunker and waiting. 

The charges exploded, and a chain reaction took over. An explosion blew up the entirety of the generator, sending a hot wind through the forest that knocked a few soldiers backwards. Luke didn’t flinch, smiling at the fireball that stretched hundreds of feet in the air. His shoulders finally relaxed. The Rebellion could finally take out the Death Star. They had done their job, and he could finally breathe again. 

Leia stayed carefully still. She could hear her father breathing, his heavy footsteps as he walked beneath the platform. The red glow of his lightsaber would have made him easy to spot, but Leia kept her eyes firmly shut. She had to stay calm, not let her rage get the better of her. It was the hardest thing in the world, trying to stay still. The idea of doing nothing to stop her friends from being killed was appalling, but she knew that she had to keep herself in the light, or else they would all be put in danger. 

“You cannot hide forever, Leia,” Vader called. 

Her eyes flew open. That was the first time that he had used her name since Cloud City. He had always called her “my daughter”, but rarely her true name. Maybe she was getting through to him. 

“Watch me,” she said, her voice echoing through the space. 

“Give yourself to the dark side,” he urged. “It is the only way you can save your friends.”

Her stomach dropped. As much as she could feel his thoughts, he could feel hers. A Force bond always went both ways. 

“Yes,” he agreed. “Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong, especially for…”

Horror filled Leia’s chest. She could feel Vader probing at her mind, and desperately tried to shut herself off. There was information in her mind that he couldn’t be allowed to see. No matter what happened to her, she had to protect– 

“Your brother!” Vader sounded incredulous, and she knew that he had found the thoughts that she was desperately trying to keep to herself. Self-loathing filled her chest, and she grit her teeth. Half of her face was in light, half in shadow. Her father’s voice darkened, dripping with malice. “So, you have a twin brother. Your feelings have now betrayed him too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide him from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps  _ he _ will.” 

That suggestion filled Leia with a wild, uncontrollable rage, the kind that filled her with strength and the familiar burning ruthlessness to shred everything in her path. How  _ dare _ he threaten her brother? Hadn’t he done enough to hurt his son, hurt them both? She would kill anyone who tried to touch the remaining piece of her family, the best person that she had ever known. Vader was her father, a reflection of herself, but Luke was someone who knew her inside and out, who had been by her side from the moment they found one another. Vader couldn’t touch him. 

“ _ Never! _ ” She screamed, igniting her lightsaber. With a rage and power that was beyond anything she ever felt, she launched herself at her father, driven to a terrifying speed that was nearly impossible to combat. This time, when the dark side rose inside her, she embraced it, throwing all of her fury into a deadly storm of power. 

There was no art or form to her movement, no care to avoid striking the pillars holding up the platform above them. Sparks danced at her sides as she pushed Vader backwards with powerful blows. He struggled to block her, even the most terrifying man in the galaxy unable to keep up with her rage. 

Leia beat him backwards, towards the bridge that they first crossed upon arrival. He tried to strike at her, to get some form of an advantage, but she was too fast, too powerful. Every movement seemed to come more easily with the dark side. Her rage poured into each movement, reckless and bold as she struck. 

Soon, Vader couldn’t even block all of her blows, weaving back and forth to try and avoid them, but his old, mechanical body couldn’t keep up with such movement. He fell, clinging to the railing. Leia didn’t care that he was on his knees, all but beaten. She could only think of Luke, and what would happen to him if Vader fulfilled his suggestion of turning him to the dark side. She couldn’t bear to see him in so much pain. She wanted to destroy Vader for even suggesting it. 

She swung her lightsaber down at him again and again, viciously beating down on his lightsaber. With each strike, he weakened, and she pressed forward, ready to end this once and for all. In a harsh attack, she sliced off his hand, the red lightsaber falling into nothingness. The railing supporting him was also split in half by her movement, and he fell backwards with a cry. 

Leia stepped forward, rage in her eyes and her teeth bared. She lifted the lightsaber with deadly intent, standing over Darth Vader with adrenaline and ice racing through her veins. She had done it. She had defeated him. She had beaten the most powerful man in the galaxy, and he laid wheezing at her feet, one hand held up weakly in surrender. 

The sound of cackling laughter broke through her rage. It was the laughter of someone who always knew that they would win, but was no less delighted by the outcome. The Emperor clapped as he descended the stairs towards them, dark delight in his smile. 

“Good!” He said, pleased agitation in his voice. He looked at her hungrily. “Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father’s place at my side.” 

Leia’s chest heaved, and she stared down at Vader. Her father’s arms were raised in surrender, and her eyes settled on the sparking stump where his hand once was. She had cut off his hand, just as he had done to her. It was as if their positions in Cloud City were sharply reversed. She looked at her gloved hand, the one that was simply mechanical now that the synthetic flesh had burned off. 

No. This was everything she had wanted to avoid. She still remembered training with Yoda, explaining how easily the dark side came to her and how much she wanted to avoid it. She remembered Luke telling her that he had too much faith in her. She remembered promising herself, over and over and over, that she would be a Jedi, that she wouldn’t let Vader’s darkness become hers. 

Now here she was, bathed in darkness, her lightsaber hovering at her father’s throat, just as she had always feared. She had spent so much of this mission trying to turn her father back that she almost lost control of the most important thing: keeping herself in the light. She couldn’t control Vader, she couldn’t drag him back to the light by force. But she could do that for herself. 

Leia closed her eyes and forcibly threw off the darkness surrounding her, shoving it away with all her might. She shook off any remaining cold, gave up all of the enraged power that had made her so terrifying. She turned to face the Emperor, without hatred, or rage, or darkness. Now, she was simply herself, but she felt no less strong. She met the Emperor’s shocked gaze with steady determination. 

“I told you,” she said firmly. “You have no say in my destiny.” She deactivated her lightsaber, throwing it away. She wasn’t afraid. She was strong, her Force signature shearing bright. “You’ve failed. I am a Jedi, like my father before me!” 

She and the Emperor watched one another for a moment. She was unyielding and strong, but no longer furious. She was surprisingly calm, settled comfortably in the knowledge that she had made the right choice and overcome the greatest obstacle in her life. The Emperor’s shock faded into disgust, then twisted into a dark rage. 

“So be it, Jedi,” he spat, as if the words themselves tasted foul. 

She smiled, raising her chin high. Even the Emperor admitted that he had failed in turning her. Everything that she had worried about, the darkness inside her, the possibility that she would end up like Vader, was gone. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she finally passed the test that she had prepared for her whole life. 

“If you will not turn,” the Emperor continued, stepping closer. Leia didn’t move, unwilling to retreat before him. “You will be destroyed.” 

He raised his arms, and Leia had a split second to be afraid before white bolts of electricity shot from his hands, spidery and blinding. They struck her body, and she convulsed. The burning, twisting pain was unlike anything she had ever endured, instantly making her fall. The electricity stopped for a moment, and she leaned against the barrels on the edge of the endless pit, panting. 

She raised her head to look at him, open terror in her gaze. It made her look younger, a far cry from the bloodthirsty warrior that nearly killed Vader. Her eyes slid to her father, who had weakly stood to stay behind his master. Electricity. She had never heard of this kind of Force power, never imagined anything like it. It was a twisted wrongness, something that felt unnatural and evil. She abruptly understood Vader never stood against him. The Emperor didn’t simply have Force powers or manipulative tactics, but a dark, boundless power that she couldn’t understand. 

“Young fool,” the Emperor said, a false pity in his tone. He shook his head, as if disappointed by her performance. “Only now, at the end, do you understand.” 

He struck her with the lightning again, and she groaned, her body twisting with the cackling power. The next strike was even longer, more agonizing. It contorted every muscle and raced through her body, burning her from the inside out. She screamed, a raw, guttural sound. It was torn from her throat with hooks of electricity. 

“Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side,” the Emperor hissed, stepping closer. He paused in his assault, and Leia understood. He was going to drag this out, make sure that the worst pain of her life lasted as long as possible, to punish her for all her insolence. “You have paid the price for your lack of vision.” 

She tried to stand, but he struck her with lightning again. She groaned, falling to the ground. Her body twitched and danced with the electricity, her teeth clenched together in pain. She struggled to move, to escape, but agony ripped through her body with unending torment, and all she could do was scream. Through the sparks and hazy vision, she saw her father, standing at the Emperor’s side. 

It was a childlike urge, coming from somewhere deep within the part of Leia that just wanted her father back. It had helped drive her to find Vader, to try to turn him back. As hopeless as it seemed now, she couldn’t help but try to reach for him, wanting someone to help her. 

“Father, please!” She cried. Any further attempt at speaking was ripped away by agony tearing through her body, burning and twisting. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All she could do was scream. 

The burning continued, and she felt her strength beginning to drain away. She convulsed on the ground, unable to fight this strange power, and distantly, she knew that this was the end. Perhaps she had saved herself from falling to the dark side, but she couldn’t save herself from death. Perhaps Vader was right after all. The lightning stopped, and she gasped for breath on the ground, coughing. Her breaths were shallow and desperate. As the Emperor spoke, she could barely muster the strength to glare at him. 

“Now, young Skywalker, you will die,” he said quietly, his raspy voice determined.

There was a moment of quiet, broken only by Leia and Vader’s wheezing breaths. Then the lightning struck again, and she had enough breath to scream once more, her body twisting painfully on the ground. She was burning, but at least it would be over soon. 

“Father!” She screamed, unable to get anything else out beyond her cries. Agony ripped through her body, and all she knew was pain. For several moments, there was no Force, no people, nothing but pain. It ripped through her body, dancing through her and causing agony any place it touched. 

Then a voice broke through the pain. 

“ _ No _ !” 

The lightning suddenly stopped, and Leia sucked in a desperate breath her body finally relaxing. She weakly looked up, her eyes wide. Darth Vader had lifted the ancient Emperor right off his feet, and the lightning danced in a deadly circle around them both, making even the deadly Sith scream. 

Vader took two swift steps, tossing the old man over the railing and collapsing. Leia watched her father with awe, barely realizing what had happened. Her father had saved her. She called for him, and he had finally saved her. 

The sound of his breaths, even weaker than usual, made her realize that the choice came at a cost. Killing the Emperor had taken a great toll on him. He shuddered as the remaining tendrils of electricity faded away, leaving only a greatly weakened man. 

With a strength that Leia didn’t realize she still possessed, she pushed herself to her feet. She stumbled to her father, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him away from where he had collapsed at the edge. 

“Father,” she whispered, holding him tightly. She had finally gotten her father back and she wouldn’t let him go. He leaned listlessly against her. He was impossibly heavy, and she was half his size, but she wasn’t letting that stop her. “I got you, I’m here.” 

For a long moment, she just held onto him, barely realizing what had happened. She was dying, and her father saved her. He wasn’t Vader, not anymore. It was Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi. As she held onto him, she could feel pain, exhaustion, but no misery, no conflict. There was even a bit of pride. She could feel his light, the enormous strength and love that it had taken to turn away from the darkness. 

The shaking of the floor made her look up sharply. This wasn’t the trembling of the Death Star attacking, but the rattling death throes of a station that was about to be destroyed. Panic shot through her.

“We have to go,” she said urgently. She wrapped an arm around him calling on the Force to help her get him to his feet. It was a struggle; thousands of emotions were battling for her attention, which made it hard to stay at peace enough to draw on the Force. She reached out, and her lightsaber snapped back to her hand. 

Her father was far too heavy for her to support on her own, but she managed, draping one of his arms over her shoulder and determinedly stepping forward. She dragged him to the elevator, her mind racing through the memory of the twists and turns that brought her here.

She didn’t save her father so they could die here. She saved him so they could escape together, so she could get her father back and make sure that he was a Jedi again. She was determined to see it through. 

Even amidst the chaos of the Death Star, pilots and stormtroopers running for their lives, a path was cleared before them. Whether it was the determined glare of the young Jedi or the sight of Vader’s body, nobody got in their way. 

Leia struggled with his weight, doing her best to carry him despite her recent weakness. The lightning had taken a toll on their bodies that would last a long time, but she could rest once they were off this death trap and safely on Endor. She made it halfway across the docking bay before she lost him. 

Her father collapsed off her shoulder, falling to the ground like a rag doll. He was too weak to even stand. Leia’s muscles trembled with exertion, but she refused to give up. All she wanted was to have her father back. Was that too much to ask? With everything that she lost and suffered, she had to save him. 

She resorted to dragging him, tugging his listless buddy, still hoarsely breathing, to the last ship available. As she neared the loading ramp, an Imperial officer spotted the ship and ran towards it, likely hoping to take it for himself. 

Leia straightened sharply, glaring at him. She held a hand out, not using the Force or a weapon, just her own fierce determination. 

“Don’t even think about it,” she warned darkly. The officer took one look at her, with her singed clothes and bloody determination, and wisely turned the other way. 

She bent down, hauling her father onto the loading ramp. Her muscles gave out, and she collapsed beside him. She reached forward, trying to help him sit up. 

“Leia,” he said, speaking for the first time since he had killed the Emperor. She stared at him, her heart squeezing. “Help me take this mask off.” 

She couldn’t answer for a moment, just shaking her head. “But you’ll die.” 

“Nothing can stop that now.” The tired resignation had returned to his voice, and it made her heart ache. She bit her lip, unhappiness rising in her chest. She had just saved her father; he couldn’t be dying. She had just gotten him back. After twenty years, she had finally gotten a father and he was dying before her eyes. “Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes.” 

Leia drew in a shuddering breath. How could she deny him that? Pressing her lips together, she nodded. She reached forward, her practiced hands finding the right places to remove the mechanisms of the mask and helmet that inspired so much fear. She lifted the heavy mask, pulling it away. The mechanical breathing faded away, and she saw Anakin Skywalker’s face for the first time. 

He looked much older than his years, skin chalk-white from years without the sun, scars twisting his face. He looked so old, and so, so tired. She couldn’t even tell what caused the myriad scars, one cutting near his eye, the flesh of his forehead twisted. There was deep sadness in his expression, weariness and loss that spanned too many years to forget. 

And blue eyes, just like Luke’s. She focused on those, unable to speak as she and her father looked at one another. She could see Ben and her brother in him, and he could see his wife and his mother in her. As he looked at her, he smiled, weakly but surely. Leia could have cried. She was finally seeing her father’s smile. 

“Now,” he said, his voice changed. It wasn’t Vader’s powerful boom, but the quiet determination that ran in the Skywalker line. “Go, my daughter. Leave me.” 

Leia shook her head, desperation clawing at her throat. No, she was just seeing her father’s smile and noticing that his eyes were just like Luke’s and she needed to know a million more things. She couldn’t leave her father behind, not after everything. 

“No,” she whispered. “We’re both escaping this place, I won’t leave you. I came back to save you.” 

“You already have, Leia,” he said kindly. She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. Her throat was too tight to speak for a moment. No, he couldn’t die, he couldn’t. Saving him from the Emperor was nothing if she couldn’t save his life. “You were right. You were right about me.” 

“Father, please,” she whispered, her voice breaking. She didn’t want to be right, she wanted him to  _ live. _

He managed to lift his remaining hand, brushing it lightly across her hair in a comforting, parental gesture. It only made the tears run even faster down her face. 

“I’m sorry, my daughter,” he whispered. “Tell your brother… I’m so sorry.” 

He offered her one last sad smile, then let out a rattling breath, his blue eyes falling shut. His hand fell from her head, thumping to the ground. Leia scrambled to hold his head up, but she was too weak. He fell back against the loading docks. Through their Force bond, she felt the life flee his body, and there was only emptiness. Anakin Skywalker was gone. 

Leia wept for the father that she had only known briefly, the lost chance that had been snatched away. She had tried so hard to save him, but he had died before they could escape. She drew in a shuddering breath, barely noticing the ground rock beneath her with explosions. 

_ Leia _ , a voice whispered, warm and comforting. She looked up, seeing nothing. She recognized the voice, however. It was Ben, speaking to her for the first time since she abandoned her training on Dagobah.  _ Anakin is free, Leia, but you must go. _

The reminder snapped her out of her sorrow, and energy rushed into her tired muscles. She grabbed her father’s torso, dragging him onto the ship and running for the controls. The Death Star would blow at any moment, and she did not intend to be on it when that happened. The engines hummed to life, and she punched it, flying the ship as fast as possible. 

They barely escaped the flames, and she directed the ship down towards Endor as the final Death Star exploded into nothingness behind her. All remnants of the Emperor, Darth Vader, and their battle were obliterated, blown to dust by her friends in the Rebellion. 

Once they were safely away from the sparks and shrapnel, Leia paused to wipe the wetness from her face. She sniffed, smiling out at the stars. 

“Thanks, Ben,” she whispered. He was always watching over her, saving her from the Death Star more than once. She couldn’t thank him enough for it. 

She guided the ship to a small clearing, a safe distance from the Ewok camp. Before seeing her loved ones again, she had to say goodbye to her father for the last time. 

Han offered to personally tend to Luke’s arm while they waited for the success of the fleet. The prince anxiously looked to the sky, hoping that they had done their job in time for their friends to avoid being slaughtered against the shield. They had taken so long to take care of it, and timing was critical for missions like these– 

“Your worshipfulness,” Han interrupted his anxious thoughts, waving a hand in front of his face. “Stop worrying. They’ll be fine.”

He smiled fondly at him. Of course Han would notice when he was drifting off in his anxious thoughts, even as he was bandaging up his shoulder. 

“Are you just saying that because you can’t imagine losing your ship?” He asked, raising his eyebrows at him. 

Han did not look amused by that. It has been surprisingly generous of him to lend Lando the use of the  _ Millennium Falcon _ for the attack, especially with their rivalry over it. He opened his mouth, likely to deny his worry over the situation, but didn’t get a chance to speak. 

Above them, the Death Star had transformed into a giant, pale explosion. Sparks and debris rained down, a cloud of brilliant sparks and smoke that seemed pink against the pale blue sky. The forest around them erupted into cheers, Ewoks and Rebels alike celebrating their victory. Even Han grinned, a half smile tugging at his mouth. 

Luke was the only one who didn’t smile, instead looking intently at the sky. He reached out through the Force, hesitantly trying to locate Leia’s presence. A familiar, warm signature reached back, sad but determined. She was alive. He breathed out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. The most important thing, after the destruction of the Death Star, was that she was alive and safe. 

“Hey,” Han said gently. He was watching him with concern. “I’m sure Leia wasn’t on that thing when it blew.” 

“She wasn’t,” Luke assured him. “I can feel it.” 

Han blinked. They had so little time together after being reunited and had been so busy trying to finish this mission, so nobody ever explained their Force bond to him. The only real knowledge that he had of it was the fact that it apparently caused them to speak together, every now and then. The smuggler had never been one to believe in the Force, even telling Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi as much, so it might be a bit hard to process. 

“You ever going to explain any of this to me?” He asked, shaking his head. 

“It’s a long story,” Luke warned. 

“We’ll have time.” He finished bandaging his arm, leaning in to brush a hand across his cheek. “Is there a short version, just for now?” 

He considered that for a moment, trying to decide how to explain his familial nonsense to Han. After all they had been through together, there was probably no scaring him off at this point. He took a slow breath. 

“She’s my sister,” he said carefully, pressing a hand on top of Han’s on his face. “We have a connection, something through the Force. There’s a lot more, but does that work?"

Han looked baffled by that, glancing side to side for a moment as his mind raced. Luke wondered what he was thinking, how many different strange Skywalker incidents he could recall that put the pieces together. After a long moment, Luke reached forward, gently turning his chin back to face him. 

“You okay there, scoundrel?” He asked, a lightly teasing tone to his voice. The confusion hadn’t left his face yet, so Luke leaned in, gently kissing him to bring him back to the present. Han’s eyes returned to him, and a slow smile crossed his face. “I promise it’ll all make sense eventually.” 

Han leaned in, kissing him again. Luke smiled against his lips, brushing his fingers across his cheek. This was certainly preferable to explaining all his familial nonsense. He could have kissed him forever. 

Their kiss was interrupted by the cheerful sound of Wickett, leaping over the log to say hello to the both of them. Luke laughed, pulling away from Han to reach for his little friend. Even Han seemed endeared by him, pulling him into a hug with a smile. 

“I’m sure you’ll explain everything later, your worshipfulness,” Han said dryly. Wickett released him, falling into Luke’s arms for a hug. Luke smiled over his head, meeting Han’s eyes. He loved him beyond words. No matter how long explaining took, he knew that he would be there for him.    


Leia found a clearing, not too far from their original landing spot when they first arrived on Endor. With the remaining light of the afternoon, she gathered wood from the surrounding forest, carefully building up a pyre. It took some time, because she was completely exhausted, but she finished it just as the sun touched the horizon. 

She closed her eyes, reaching out through the Force. She was calm, her mind at peace, so it responded to her immediately. Her father’s body gently rose into the air, settling onto the pyre. She placed his helmet and mask beside him, wanting all remnants of Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker to be with him. 

She stepped back, drawing out her lightsaber to ignite it. Before she could, footsteps crunched through the underbrush behind her, a familiar presence nearby. She frowned. 

“Luke,” she said, turning towards him. He was the last person that she would have expected to be here, but he smiled at her, stepping into the clearing. His shoulder was bandaged and his hair a bit mussed, but for the most part he seemed safe. “What are you doing here?” 

“I didn’t want you to be alone,” he said simply. His eyes settled on the pyre, and the familiar armor of the man sitting on it. A bit of trepidation touched his expression, but he kept moving forward until he stood at Leia’s side. “I’m sorry.” 

They both knew that he couldn’t be entirely sorry about Darth Vader’s death, after everything that he had gone through at his hands. The fact that he was gone would likely make Luke feel a bit safer, if anything. Leia couldn’t blame him. As sad as it made her, she knew that her father’s death would make things easier in the long run. Despite all of that, she appreciated that Luke was willing to put his own discomfort over the matter aside so he could be there for her. 

“Thank you,” she said quietly. 

“Were you able to bring him back?” He asked, glancing at the body. 

She nodded. “He saved me from the Emperor.” 

In the end, it was probably the best that she could ask for. A father who sacrificed everything for her, the end of the Empire, and the knowledge that she was able to resist the dark side when it mattered most. The worst ordeal of her life was finally over with, and she could put her anxieties and her father to rest. 

“I’m glad,” Luke said, trying to shove away all of his surprise over that fact. Vader turning back to the light for the sake of his child wasn’t something he truly believed was possible, so it made him incredibly relieved that she had succeeded. After a moment, he drew out the lightsaber that she had given him, distantly realizing that he never actually used it. Now that Leia had successfully defeated the Sith, perhaps it was about time that he learned how to use it. He nodded to the pyre, glancing at Leia. “Do you want help with that?” 

She smiled. Together, the twins ignited their lightsabers, lightly touching the green and purple blades to opposite sides of the pyre. The heat caused the dry branches to catch fire rapidly, and flames soon consumed the entire pile. Deactivating their lightsabers, Luke and Leia watched silently. 

Smoke rose from the cracks in the armor, rising to the sky along with small embers. The flames cast warm, flickering light over both of their faces. Luke took Leia’s hand, trying to give her as much support as he could manage. He couldn’t mourn Vader. Leia took a breath, squeezing his hand in thanks. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the pyre, silently saying goodbye to her father. Shmi had been right, and she could save him. She had clung to her father all her life, even when she thought that he was a dead spice runner. That idea had only grown into the Hero with No Fear, before being destroyed by the twisted evil that was Darth Vader. Even then, she still hoped for a father that cared enough about her to save her. Now, she had to let go of him for good this time. 

They stayed until there was nothing left of the pyre but armor and ash. The remaining embers glowed softly around the misshapen armor. They wouldn’t fade for quite some time. The twins left, leaving Anakin Skywalker behind. 

They returned to the Ewok village, where everyone was celebrating the destruction of the Empire. The galaxy had been freed at long last, and it would remain that way. Small bonfires were scattered across platforms in the forest, Rebels and Ewoks and droids all dancing around them. Festive music floated from platform to platform, cheerful and bright. 

Han pulled Leia into a tight hug as soon as she returned, smiling proudly at her. 

“So, you’re a big Jedi Knight now?” He asked, ruffling her hair. 

“You bet,” she replied, grinning up at him. “You’d better be careful, I can kick your ass even better now.” 

He rolled his eyes, moving past her to throw his arms around Luke. They had saved the galaxy, but some things could never be changed. Luke pressed his ear against his chest, hugging him tightly. He closed his eyes, grateful that the weight had been lifted off his shoulders. 

“Wedge!” Leia yelled, running over to him. Her other partner in crime had survived the fight too, and had successfully destroyed the Death Star. They hugged, grinning widely. She pulled back, looking at him with pride. “Nice job out there. Rogue Leader suits you.” 

Luke spotted Lando, briefly releasing Han to hug him as well. The man had led the attack on the Death Star for them, somehow succeeding even with their near-failure with the shield generator. He smiled warmly at him. “Thank you. I’m glad we have someone like you in the Rebellion.” 

“Always happy to help, your highness,” he said, nodding. 

Han came up behind them, throwing an arm around Luke once again. Chewie came up to them as well, able to pull all three of them closer together in a hug. They watched the others dancing around the fire, smiling happily. There was more work ahead of them, of course, but for now, they could bask in their celebration. 

Leia stepped away from the fire, seeing two familiar figures watching them from nearby. The ghostly blue forms of Ben Kenobi and Yoda watched from nearby. She smiled at them. Ben’s eyes were full of pride, and he nodded to her warmly. Yoda was perched on the railing, his ears wiggling. 

As she watched, a third figure appeared beside them. A young man, with brown hair and blue eyes. Though she had never seen him looking so young, Leia recognized Anakin Skywalker’s presence immediately. His ghostly form seemed free of the conflict and misery that plagued him for the latter part of his life. As he looked at her, Leia could feel his pride and gratitude. 

Luke looked over, feeling something nearby. His breath caught. Three figures, standing off to the side, watched the celebration along with the rest of them. He couldn’t remember meeting any of them, but he recognized Obi-Wan and Yoda from the stories that he had heard about them. He stepped closer to Leia, his eyes fixed on the final figure. His stomach twisted uncomfortably. It had to be Vader, though now he was wearing simple Jedi robes, seeming to be at peace. He swallowed the anxiety that the presence immediately brought him, walking up to Leia and forcing a smile. 

“Come on,” he said, taking her arm gently. “Join the celebration, you’ve earned it.” 

Leia allowed him to pull her back to the group, glancing over her shoulder to give the Force ghosts one last smile. She walked to the group, looking around at her loved ones. All of her closest friends were safe, alive and celebrating alongside the Ewoks. While her body ached from the lightning, she was still on her feet. She threw an arm around Luke, leaning her head against his shoulder. 

All the sacrifices that they made and all the losses that they suffered had been worth it, in the end. They had found everything that they worked towards, and managed to survive without losing themselves. She closed her eyes, finally feeling safe with her family around her. The weight of defeating the Empire had been lifted off their shoulders. 

They all smiled at the celebrations, basking in victory at last. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the original trilogy! I will be adding one more chapter going over the rest of their lives, bc while I like some elements of Legends and the sequels I want my favs to live long, happy lives, so I'm writing it. There will be a bit of angst in the next chapter as well. If there's anything you're wondering about for their lives after ROTJ, feel free to drop into my inbox on Tumblr @princelukeorgana and I'll try to include details about it in the next chapter. 
> 
> Super sorry about formatting as well! I'm still working on it. 
> 
> Sorry about how long this took! The holidays were kind of hellish, so it took awhile to get this done. If you enjoyed this chapter, please drop a comment letting me know! I hope you guys are doing well, and that 2021 is better for all of us. Happy reading, everyone!!


	5. A Happy Ending (no, really!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief synopsis of the rest of their lives, with some focus on scenes that were particularly vivid in my mind. If there's something else that you would like to happen, be sure to share it! I tried to include a combination of my favorite parts of Legends/EU and the sequels, but overall I just wanted them to have happy lives. You can always pick and choose which parts you want to keep, but this is how I imagine it :)

After their father’s death, Luke and Leia began researching their family. The redacted files of the Empire offered little help, but they were able to trace Padmé Amidala back to Naboo. Their attempt to visit to find more information was interrupted by the beginnings of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s plans to destroy the growing New Republic. He was the sole leader to keep the Empire alive even after the Battle of Endor, allowing it to endure for several more years. 

Luke helped plan attacks on the remnants of the Empire alongside his childhood friend, Amilyn Holdo. She was an expert on strategy, if a bit odd, but they had always understood one another perfectly. He also helped Mon begin the long process of building a new, fair government within the New Republic.

In between all of these different tasks, he was also making his way through Jedi training with Leia. She helped teach him about the Force through their bond, helping him expand on his natural sensitivity to it. It was slow going; they had very little time, in between trying to find information about their family and battling Thrawn. 

Leia also had another growing problem. Her name was Mara Jade. 

Mara Jade, who had been working with Talon Karrde, apparently very much hated her. While they were trapped together in a forest on Myrkr, needing one another to stay alive, she eventually discovered why. Mara thought Leia had killed the Emperor. Leia couldn’t possibly fathom why this was a bad thing. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, raising a finger and shooting Mara an incredulous look from across the campfire that they were sharing. “You’re pissed at me because you think I killed the man who clearly controlled your whole life?”

“He gave me everything!” She shot back. “I was his Hand, his most trusted warrior.” 

Leia looked at her for a long moment. She could understand enjoying the power that came with a position in the Empire, but this was something beyond that. Why couldn’t Mara see that the Emperor was a controlling manipulator who didn’t trust anyone? If she was as close to him as she claimed, why wouldn’t she know? After a moment of hesitation, she lightly touched her presence in the Force. 

Mara was a mixture of darkness and light, scattered experiences each forming casting their own shades. There was also a familiar darkness in her mind, a controlling power that reeked of Palpatine planted in her like a tumor. It was his power over her, seemingly still on the surface but with rapid currents powerfully guiding her mind. 

_ You will kill Leia Skywalker _ . 

Leia recoiled, looking at her with fresh concern. The Emperor had planted a command in her mind, something controlling and cold. It had to be an overpowering urge, so much that she couldn’t believe that Mara was holding back from killing her right at this moment. She looked at the green-eyed woman with a touch of sadness. 

“He still has control over you,” she said softly. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mara snapped, glaring at her. “He’s dead. I want to avenge him.” 

Leia slowly shook her head. She fully understood the Emperor’s power and the way that it could influence people. He had only urged on her anger while she was fighting her father, stoking her bitter hatred of him into a burning flame that almost made her kill him. A lot of that uncontrolled rage was her own, but he had known exactly how to exploit it. 

“He planted something in your mind,” she told her. Her voice was careful, verging on gentle. She hadn’t seen many people who were manipulated by the Emperor at such a close and controlling level, and the fact that it still was wrapped around Mara’s mind made her heart ache. She deserved better. “It’s not you that wants to kill me, it’s Palpatine.” 

Mara’s blaster snapped out, pointing directly at her head. “Care to test that theory?” 

Leia didn’t flinch. She had been through too much to be afraid of a mere blaster pointed at her head. She knew that the control in her mind was powerful, but clearly Mara was strong enough in the Force to fight back, seeing as she hadn’t killed Leia already. Besides, many people had threatened to kill her in the past, and her brief time with her father had taught her a thing or two about forgiveness, especially since Mara couldn’t help the voice in her mind. 

“Not yet,” she said, standing. She didn’t spare the redhead another glance, moving over to a tree nearby. “But you should think a little more about why you want me dead, and why you care about serving a man that controlled so much of your mind. If you ever want help getting rid of him, I’m here to help.” She sat down, leaning back against the tree and ignoring Mara’s immediate scoff of disgust. “But for now, I’m going to sleep. Wake me if another vornskr shows up.” 

That was the end of their discussion for the time being, but Leia did walk out of that forest alive. Mara seemed to postpone killing her for the time being, and Leia had a feeling that it would last. They didn’t see one another again for several months, but each time that they met, Leia’s unfailing willingness to help Mara and Mara’s begrudging affection for the other badass young woman helped them form a rocky alliance. 

In the meantime, Luke had managed to carve out a week in their schedules to visit the beautiful planet of Naboo, the place where their mother was originally from. There, they met dozens of women who were more than happy to tell them about the Queen and Senator Padmé Amidala. The first among them was a high ranking politician named Saché, who guided them through the Naboo palace, telling them about their mother’s bravery in her early years as a young queen. Leia’s eyes shined with every piece of information that they found out about their mother, as she looked over the many paintings of the queen throughout the palace. She had been well loved, even more admired. 

Granted, their first meeting with their most helpful informant was a bit of a shock for Luke. Her name was Sabé. 

He had somewhat known her, during his time in Rebel Intelligence. They never met in person, and her code name had been Shadow. She gave them intel about Vader, Palpatine’s forces on Naboo, and myriad Imperial outposts. It had always seemed random and strange, but his father always told him that she had her own investigations, and that she gave them her excess information because they were old friends. She would have been a perfect Fulcrum agent, but her own goals took priority. 

The woman had her back turned when they first arrived in her small home. She wore a deep blue coat and dark pants, movable and comfortable. She turned around, unsmiling, but even her carefully placid expression made Luke stop in his tracks. 

“You look…” He blurted out, then snapped his jaw shut quickly. He rarely spoke without considering what he was going to say, because all of his words had to be carefully decided before he expressed them. It was a necessity as a prince, a politician, and a spy. He hadn’t been shocked into blurting words out in a long time, but he was staring into the face of a ghost. 

When he was a child, crying out from nightmares, there had been a woman who appeared to him. She was ethereally beautiful, her expression touched with a sad kindness. Luke had always seen her draped in cascading blue fabric, with small white flowers woven into her flowing hair. He didn’t know who she was, as a child, but he had always viewed her as a source of comfort. The last time that he had seen her was before he even set foot on the Death Star, years and years ago. 

“Yes,” Sabé said, nodding once. She didn’t seem surprised by his shock. “I was your mother’s decoy.” 

Luke squeezed Leia’s hand, blinking a few times. He would have to explain everything to her later, once they spoke to Sabé. For now, he let her take the lead of the conversation, quietly considering the fact that he had seen his mother’s face several times throughout his childhood. 

Sabé stepped closer to Leia, a softness entering her expression. Leia held her gaze, a touch of curiosity in her dark eyes as she analyzed the older woman right back. They looked even more similar close together, teardrop faces and stone expressions. Sabé looked into her eyes for a long moment, then nodded, the barest hint of a smile crossing her face. 

“You have her eyes,” she told her after a moment. “Stubborn, smart. Leia  _ Skywalker _ , you said?” Leia nodded, matching her small smile. “Well, it seems that Yané owes me quite a bit of money.” 

They talked for hours, after that. Sabé told them dozens of stories about their brave, calculating mother. She could be reckless and stubborn, but was driven by a desire to help people, to stand for those who could not stand for themselves. The twins were enraptured, sharing glances and silently wondering which parts of those stories matched their own personalities. They both quietly thought that the other was more like Padmé, but didn’t say so. 

Throughout the final years of the Empire, when they could manage, they made brief visits to Naboo, where there was always another woman who would smile and guide them through the stories of their mother. Along with Sabé, there was Dormé, Saché, Yané, Eirtaé, Rabé, and Padmé’s sister, Sola Naberrie. It was hard to find time to truly know them all, but each woman seemed proud of their Lady’s children. 

The final death of Thrawn and his Empire came with the help of Mara Jade. She reluctantly asked Leia for help, both with the command in her mind and helping her employer. Though she was cold and hostile at first, working together helped them grow a bit closer. They fought like demons together, each with their own powerful rage and driving force that allowed them to take down stormtroopers with ease. Despite their begrudging friendship, trying to get Mara to let Leia inside her mind to remove the Emperor’s command was like pulling teeth. 

“You’re still shoving me out,” Leia snapped after the fourth try. They were sitting at the table in the lounge room of the  _ Falcon _ , cross-legged in the booth and facing one another. “You have to let your guard down.” 

Mara set her jaw, pressing her lips together. Every time that she felt Leia’s probing presence in her mind, her Force powers reacted before she could even process it, throwing up walls and shoving every touch away from her mind. Logically, she knew that she shouldn’t be doing it, but her reactions were immediate and instinctive. 

“I’m trying,” she said shortly. She moved her hands back to her knees, trying to find a meditative pose. “Let’s do it again.” 

Leia watched her expression, not fully understanding her reactions but knowing the experiences that drove them. She took a slow breath. It had to be hard, to have her mind invaded after years and years of being borderline controlled by Palpatine. As unyielding as she could be, Mara was trying. 

“Here,” she said, holding out her hands, palms up. “The meditation shit isn’t working. Might as well go for something different.” 

Mara offered her a wary glance, mixed with some annoyance, but she hesitantly rested her hands in Leia’s after a moment. They closed their eyes, holding onto one another to stabilize themselves, and tried to open themselves up to the Force. 

“It’s just me,” Leia reminded her, lightly nudging Mara’s Force presence. She opened her mind to Mara, silently inviting her to probe forward as well. She couldn’t very well ask Mara to let her look into her mind without offering it herself. Hopefully it would help her feel more comfortable, reminding her that this wasn’t Palpatine’s overpowering control, but a friendly, open presence. 

Mara’s forehead creased, and she hesitantly reached forward, finding Leia’s mind. She could feel her intentions, the burning drive that compelled her to help others, the underlying compassion that few people saw. Her shoulders relaxed, and the immediate tension that she felt upon someone touching her mind eased slightly. 

Leia felt the walls blocking her from Mara’s mind relax, the first real sign that she was letting her in. Encouragement rose in her mind. 

“I’m just looking for the command,” she said quietly, lightly nudging deeper into Mara’s mind. It was like stepping into a vast lake, barely dipping into the expanse of someone else’s thoughts and memories. During their past few attempts, even touching the water of Mara’s mind resulted in a violent shove backwards, but this time, she was able to wade in. “I won’t look at the important things, I’m not here to read your memories. I’m just getting him out.” 

Leia’s intentions were genine and open, making Mara nod slowly. The feeling of someone else reaching into her mind made her heart pound, an instinctive defensiveness rising in her chest. She found herself clinging tightly to Leia’s hands, feeling the reassurance in her mind. 

Leia searched forward, seeking out the dark tendrils that curled in Mara’s mind. Once she was inside Mara’s consciousness, it was easy to spot the source of the cold intent. There was a lot of darkness in Mara’s life, remnants of the dark side throughout her memories, but Leia brushed past them. That was the influence of a man who controlled her from childhood, and not important right now. 

The real cold was embedded deeply in Mara’s mind, a command so overpowering that Leia wanted to flinch as she stared into it. She forced herself to hold steady, even as the desire to obey pulled at her. 

_ You will kill Leia Skywalker _ . 

Along with the Emperor’s screaming voice, there was an image. Leia and Vader, side by side with their lightsabers drawn, viciously cutting down the Emperor. Confusion flickered into her consciousness, and she tilted her head slightly. That wasn’t right. 

“It’s a lie,” she said quietly, calling back on her own memory of the moment that the Emperor died. She brought it forward, offering it up to Mara in the connection between their minds. “Vader killed him, alone, while he was trying to kill me.” 

They shared the memory for a moment, Leia’s screaming, convulsing pain as Vader lifted the furious Emperor off his feet, tossing him down a reactor shaft. With Mara’s connection to the Emperor, they could feel the moment that he sent her the order itself, the lie. Mara flinched, gripping Leia’s hands so tightly it was almost painful, as she relived his death. 

_ Follow it, _ Leia said, squeezing her hands to ground her. She spoke directly through the link in their minds. They were so close. Leia couldn’t get rid of the command in Mara’s mind, only she could do that. Leia simply guided her through the memory, to the icy place where the Emperor’s command laid.  _ This is it. He is dead, he has no power over you. _

Mara grimaced. Confronting the Emperor’s command, directly facing it and fighting it, was not something that she had been able to do. Burying it had been the only way to resist it. Now that it was right in front of her, with the real and false memories of her master’s death playing in her mind, it was all she could do not to reach up and choke Leia lifeless right here. 

“You realize I might kill you,” she said tightly, struggling to keep herself still. 

“I’ll stop you,” Leia replied calmly, an assured confidence in her voice. They hadn’t fought hand-to-hand enough to prove which of them was the better warrior, but she seemed comfortable enough in her abilities. “His voice is in your mind, so you have to rip him out. Face him, take him down. You’re stronger.”

Leia couldn’t be certain that Mara was stronger than the Emperor, but she was stronger than the command in her mind. She was a powerful presence in the Force, and Leia knew that she could kill this thing. The Emperor controlled her for so long that it would be hard to try, but Leia tried to give her as much determination and strength as possible so she could free herself from him.

Mara closed her eyes tightly, her teeth clenched. She faced the command, letting it wash over her with all its power. It was overpowering, the familiar voice of her dead master pulling at her like the tide. She held firm, breathing slowly. 

_ YOU WILL KILL LEIA SKYWALKER _ . 

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. The voice spoke again, screaming into her mind. With encouragement from Leia’s thoughts, she attacked it, shoving it away from her mind. She didn’t bury it, but shoved it out as hard as she could. It physically hurt. The Emperor had been such a big part of her mind for so long; he had grown into her mind like the roots of a weed. Tearing it out felt as if it would take her with it. 

She let out a groan through gritted teeth, leaning forward. Leia’s hand shot to her shoulder, steadying her. With a final shove, she ripped the Emperor’s influence from her mind, pushing it away with all the pain that it brought. 

The action shoved Leia completely out of her mind as well. Her green eyes flew open, wide and searching as she gasped for air. 

“Hey, you’re okay,” Leia said, grabbing her shoulders. Her dark eyes were calm and comforting, steadying Mara in reality. “I can’t feel him around you anymore. Can you?” 

Mara blinked a few times. She felt strangely light, now, as if a heavy blanket had been thrown off her back. Her breathing slowed. Her mind was free of the urge to kill Leia. She was right here, open and undefended, but Mara’s hands didn’t twitch to grab at her throat. For the first time since she was a child, she was the only person in her own mind. It was strange, hollow, but she felt free.

“He’s gone,” she said softly, her hands coming up to her temples. She looked at Leia with wonder, relief relaxing her shoulders. “It worked.” 

Leia grinned, releasing her shoulders and leaning back. Mara seemed like an entirely different person now, free of the dark side. Even her red-gold hair and green eyes seemed brighter, without the dark heaviness that hung around her. His influence might still guide some of her instincts, after years of his control, but she would know how to control it now. 

Free of the Emperor’s influence, Mara helped them defeat Joruus C’baoth and the clones from his factory, blowing it apart. The last remnants of the Empire fell, leaving only the newly growing Republic. Mara went her own way, but Leia knew that they would see each other again, this time as allies, perhaps even friends. 

Without needing to battle the constant attacks of the Empire, Luke found himself with a bit more free time. The Republic had a structure, with Mon as the Chancellor, presiding over the Senate. Luke held a slightly more minor position in their government, which allowed him time to train with Leia. 

Meditation and other mentally-based forms of training came more easily to him. He learned to move different objects with his mind, learned to see into someone’s mind to read their intentions. It was surprisingly cathartic to dive into the Force like this. It felt more natural than anything Luke had ever done. His ways of gathering information as a spy, by reading people’s expressions and making surprisingly accurate guesses about their plans and goals, were part of the Force. He had been using it all this time, barely realizing it. 

Lightsaber training was more difficult. He practiced with Leia’s, but the feeling of using a living, humming weapon was difficult. It was incredibly strange, and he doubted he would ever match Leia’s skill with it, but eventually he became passable. It was easier once he found his Kyber crystal, and formed his own lightsaber. The powerful green blade aligned perfectly with his fighting style, and he was able to hold his own against Leia. His first time disarming her was his first step to becoming a Jedi Master. 

His final test was a long, quiet process. He fell into a meditation so deep that it lasted a few days, quietly resting in the makeshift training studio near the top level of the Imperial Palace, formerly the Jedi Temple. Leia knew that it was something he had to do, so she ensured that he wasn’t disturbed. It wasn’t easy. Han went into a borderline panic upon hearing that Luke couldn’t be woken from his state, and spent several hours pestering Leia with questions about it. Would he be okay? Was this normal? Could he hear them? Would he be the same when he got out? 

“It’s fine, Han,” she told him, less and less patiently as the inquiries continued. “He’s in the Force right now, he’ll come out when he’s good and ready. You can’t speed it up, so please just find something to do in the meantime and  _ fuck off _ .” 

Han thought this was excessive, but eventually left her alone. He made a point to leave a flask of water, a bag of dried Alderaanian fruit, and a note for Luke whenever he snapped out of it. Chewbacca knew that it would be worrying him all day, so he made a point to take Han away for a while. They went on an adventure that would eventually involve thousands of credits worth of damage, the fury of three separate Senators, and Lando having to bail them out of jail. 

Leia would know if her twin was in danger or not. She could feel him in the Force, deep within a realm of its existence. If she was honest, she was a little jealous. Luke had a connection to the Force that she never did. If his green lightsaber was any indication, he was a deeply spiritual Jedi. It worked out well, because she was more skilled with physical exercises while Luke excelled at using the Force. She stayed nearby, but she gave him space to finish his trials, knowing that he would emerge as a Jedi Master. 

Luke only remembered slowly breathing, letting himself fall deeper and deeper into the Force. It was calming and warm. With his practice, it was easy to let himself relax, allow the Force to guide him. 

When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere different. Far away, he could feel his physical body, still held perfectly still in a meditating pose. It stayed still even when he stood, looking around. His lips parted slightly as his eyes ran over the room, trepidation crossing his expression. 

He stood at the end of the hallway of a Star Destroyer, facing a cold metal wall. He took a deep breath, pushing away the immediate panic that it brought. This wasn’t real; it was simply his test. He was standing in a place that terrified him, and he had to remain calm. 

“Welcome to your final trial, young Organa,” said a voice from behind him. 

He turned, and there was a small creature there, short and green, an eternity of wisdom in his eyes. He was the only other creature there, his pale robes standing out sharply against the grey metal. Luke immediately knew who he was looking at. Leia had told him about her master from Dagobah, an ancient frog looking creature that spoke in the oddest way. He only caught a brief glimpse of him on Endor, but he would have recognized him regardless; the Force gave him the knowledge immediately. He knelt in front of the old Jedi master so they were eye level, bowing his head politely. 

“Master Yoda,” he replied, smiling at him. “It’s an honor.”

“Prepared for the trial, are you?” Yoda asked, folding his hands neatly over his cane. He looked at Luke inquisitively. 

Luke inclined his head respectfully. “I am.” 

Yoda searched his eyes, and Luke could feel his touch through the Force, looking him over before nodding. He seemed to believe him, offering him a small smile. 

“Good,” he said, turning around. “Come, come.” 

Luke followed him, until they paused at a door in the hallway. It was standard Imperial issue, with diagonally shutting sliders that were currently sealed together. Usually, they opened on command, but these remained shut. Luke looked down at Yoda, still unsure about what this test would be. So far it had seemed concerning, but not the terrifying test that he had imagined. 

“Three tests, there will be,” Yoda informed him. “Come a long way, you have. Courage and endurance, have you shown. Alongside Master Skywalker, skills have you learned, but more to learn, there is.” 

Luke took a breath, nodding once. He returned his gaze to the door. “I’m ready.” 

Yoda chuckled from beside him, as if amused and pleased by the typical Skywalker determination. The doors slid open, and Luke stepped through without hesitation. He thought about how Leia always drove forward, seeming absolutely fearless. He wanted to be like her. 

Behind the doors, the scenery was shockingly familiar. It wasn’t the cold darkness of the Star Destroyer, but the bright, familiar rooms of home. Luke stopped, staring. It was the Alderaanian palace. He recognized one of the meeting rooms, with beautiful windows that showed off the scenery of the planet. The sunrise glimmered on the shining decorations, making everything around him seem to glow. It was exactly as he remembered it. 

Two people stood at the other end of the room, looking out the windows. Luke stepped forward, his throat tight. 

“Mom, Dad?” He said softly, a hopeful look in his eyes. 

They turned towards him, bathed in sunlight. Walking together, they came closer, and his vision refocused. Bail and Breha Organa, exactly as they appeared in life, kind and warm and gentle. Breha wore a delicate circlet, and a flowing gown with the soft glow of her artificial organs glimmering beneath the blue fabric. Bail wore a blue suit and cape, looking regal and strong, but his eyes were filled with pride. Luke’s eyes immediately filled with tears. He had missed them so much. 

He bolted towards them, princely manners forgotten. He wanted to throw himself into their arms, to let his parents hold him and tell him everything was alright. He had missed them so much, his mother’s endless calm, his father’s warm guidance. But when he reached them, they weren’t there. 

He fell through the illusion of their bodies, collapsing onto his knees. He turned around, sucking in a short breath. They were there, but not there. His mother reached for him, but he could see the light shining right through her hand. He couldn’t touch them. 

“No,” he whispered, reaching for her. 

“Luke, why is this happening?” Bail asked, still trying to touch him. He and Breha seemed confused, worried by the circumstances surrounding them. They looked so alive, so human, even though he knew that it wasn’t the case. An immediate answer rose to his mind, whether it was logical or not, and he blurted it out. 

“It’s because it’s my fault,” he said softly. He looked up at his parents, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. 

His father put him in the  _ Tantive IV _ because he trusted him, but how much had Luke done to earn that trust? He had begun as a spy, had managed to sneak information by simply talking with the other senators and eavesdropping, but when he was supposed to save the Death Star plans, he had to send them with droids and a farm girl. While everything seemed to work out, he couldn’t save his parents, and couldn’t honor the sacrifices that everyone else had made. 

“I let Alderaan die,” he said, the memory of an entire planet, killed because of him, burning in his mind. “I couldn’t protect you, I couldn’t save anyone.”

His parents were silent, simply watching him. Luke looked down, his hands falling limply on his legs. When he blinked, he could see blood splattering the pristine white robes, the blood of everyone that he had failed. His parents, his planet, so many lost friends and allies. 

Seeing his parents again, in all their greatness and leadership, only reminded him of everything that they were, everything that he wasn’t. He had been made a member of the High Alliance to replace Bail Organa, but he hadn’t been nearly the leader that he was. Breha was a brilliant strategist, and he had tried to match her skills, but he had sent so many people to their deaths in the process. He had never been able to lead and plan like them. His worst fear had been that he wasn’t good enough to replace his parents. With them standing before him, it never felt more true. 

“I’m not a leader like you,” he admitted, shaking his head. Tears rolled down his face. “I tried, but I’ve sent so many people to their deaths. So many people died because of me. Even Obi-Wan died trying to rescue me.”

He could run through names of the dead forever, but his throat was too tight. He took in a shuddering breath, winding his arms tightly around his stomach.

A hand settled firmly on his shoulder, warm and real. The touch shocked him into movement, and he looked up sharply, the tears tracking down his face. 

“Luke,” Bail said, settling down on one knee in front of him. “You didn’t fail.” 

Luke was too stunned to speak for a moment, looking at his father with reddened eyes. He didn’t see disappointment in his father’s face, only affection. His expression was open and warm, his dark eyes as full of kindness as Luke remembered. He wiped his face, feeling strangely childish. He had waited a long time to feel his father’s hand on his shoulder again, comforting and warm. 

“You carried our fight to the finish, Luke,” Breha added, taking one of his hands in both of hers. “You freed the galaxy from the Empire.” 

“It wasn’t me,” he protested immediately, his voice watery. He squeezed her hand, clinging to it like a lifeline. Why were they suddenly real? “It was Leia and Ackbar and Lando–” 

“Under your leadership,” Bail interrupted. They both stood, gently pulling their son to his feet. “You took your place in the Alliance High Command and helped guide them towards victory. You were essential to destroying both Death Stars.” 

“Not just me, there’s plenty of others…” Luke could have protested this front for the next ten years, but his voice trailed off. His father moved his hand to his back, his mother took his arm, and together they guided him to the window. Through the glass, he caught a glimpse of movement in the courtyard below, and even more in the surrounding area.

His parents gave him space at the window, and he stepped right up to the glass, his mouth dropping open. The courtyard was filled with people, familiar faces that he never thought he would see again. Cassian Andor and the Rogue One team, Captain Antilles and the crew of the  _ Tantive IV _ , General Rieekan and the others who died on Hoth, all the people who had died for the sake of the Rebellion. Luke recognized nearly all of them, because he had felt the pain of their loss countless times as he recalled his mistakes. 

They were all here, within the Force, and they didn’t seem vengeful or unhappy like Luke assumed they would be about their deaths. They seemed content and at peace. Two of the warriors that Cassian picked up for the Rogue One team were even smiling, arm-in-arm as they spoke to one another. 

“They made their choice, Luke,” Breha said softly, squeezing his arm. “We all did.”

“Do not take our deaths onto yourself,” Bail said. Luke turned to look at him, his reddened eyes wide. “You have done more than enough for the Rebellion.” 

Luke couldn’t speak. His parents’ assurance that he had done enough, that he had finished the battles that they began, made the weight that had been on his shoulders for so many years ease. He drew in a shuddering breath. 

“Thank you,” he said softly. 

He turned to his mother, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her hand moved to the back of his head, brushing lightly over his head as she had done so many times before. After too short of a time, he turned to his father, throwing his arms around him. From the time that he was a child, his parents had been his heroes, the people that he always looked to in a crisis. Life without them was difficult, but it was easier knowing that they were smiling on him from the Force. His father drew back and kissed his forehead, smiling down at him.

“We love you, Luke,” he said, stepping closer to Breha and taking her arm. They both beamed at him. 

Luke had the feeling that it was time for him to move on, as much as he wanted to stay with his parents for as long as possible, talking to them about everything that had happened since he lost them. He stepped back, his hands clinging to theirs for as long as possible before reluctantly falling away. The doors to the balcony seemed to call to him. 

“I love you too,” he said, offering them one last smile. Then, before he could lose his nerve, he quickly wiped the remnants of tears from his face and stepped through the balcony doors. 

When he dropped his hands, he was no longer on Alderaan. Instead, he had to duck as blaster fire shot over his head. 

It took a split second for him to recognize his surroundings as the planet Kashyyyk. He was deep in the woods, standing alongside a small group of rebels who were firing back at the stormtroopers. He took cover behind a tree, instinctively reaching for his hip in search of a blaster. To his surprise, there was one there where there had not been before. Not taking the time to question it, shot at the approaching stormtroopers. 

They shot at one another for several moments, all Luke’s allies except for one falling. The rebel soldier, whose face was hidden by her hooded cloak, was on the ground behind a fallen branch, well hidden but unable to escape due to a wounded leg. 

Luke looked out from his hiding place, seeing a high level Imperial, flanked by two stormtroopers, running away from them. Instinctively, he knew that capturing this officer would give them important intelligence. However, as he started to chase after him, his attention was drawn to a small Wookiee, far too young to be in the midst of a battle. The child was unable to climb to safety. 

The stormtroopers turned back, firing at them. Luke didn’t hesitate. Not capturing the Imp was a loss, but he couldn’t leave the Wookiee child in danger. He ran towards them, whispering comforting words and wrapping his arms around them. Drawing on the power of the Force, he leapt upwards, lifting the Wookiee to a platform built into the trees high above them. They would be safer up there.

An adult Wookiee seemed to appear from nowhere, taking the child into her arms and climbing up the tree with them. Luke sighed a breath of relief, watching the pair disappear into the treetops. 

“What happened?” A woman’s voice asked. He turned, finding that the hooded soldier from below was now standing on the platform beside him, leg wound mysteriously gone. 

As he looked at her, confusion flashed across his face. How did she get up here? However, his confusion was chased away by the rush of guilt that came over him. He had the chance to finish their mission, but had helped another bystander instead. He had always preferred helping people. It made him an excellent diplomat and a terrible soldier. While working in the Rebellion required him to be more of a soldier, he never became accustomed to it. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, crossing his arms uncomfortably across his chest. He hated that he never made the best tactical decisions, especially since he was supposed to be a general. Many older soldiers had admonished him for helping random civilians rather than focusing on a battle. “I let him get away.”

“Why?” The word was sharp. He looked down. 

“There was a child,” he admitted, unable to meet her eyes, though he couldn’t even see them beyond the hood. “I’m sorry, I got them out of the battle, but I know I should have gone after him.”

“So why didn’t you?” This question was softer, more inquiring than accusatory. It didn’t ease the guilt in his stomach. 

“I…” He shrugged helplessly. “I just wanted to help them.” 

Even with lowered eyes, he saw her cloak shift as she pulled back the hood. Sighing, he lifted his head, ready to accept another lecture on why he should stick to diplomacy and planning, but he froze when he met her gaze. 

All his life, Luke had seen a ghost who came to comfort him after his nightmares, a beautiful woman with sad eyes and flowers in her hair. Now, her brown hair was pulled away from her face now, with a silver headband keeping it pinned back, but he could still recognize her. Now, thanks to Sabè, he even knew who she was. 

“Mother?” He said softly, everything else fading away as he stared at her. 

She stepped forward, lifting a hand to his face. Her eyes were soft and kind. His heart squeezed. He was looking at his mother, and actually feeling her touch on his cheek, warm and real, rather than the cool illusion that he had known as a child. He leaned against her palm, completely in awe. After so long of knowing nothing about his mother, he was seeing her and speaking to her. 

“Luke,” she said, smiling warmly at him, her thumb brushing across his cheek. 

Abruptly, Luke remembered that this was his test, that they were supposed to be in the midst of a battle. He looked around, his mind reeling. Why was his mother here? Was she part of the test, as his parents had been? 

“Are you here because I failed the test?” He asked softly, worry in his voice. Jedi were supposed to think about the greater good, which probably meant capturing the officer and getting the intelligence that he had. Leia was always so much better about this sort of thing than he was. 

Padmé shook her head, a slow smile creeping across her face. 

“No, Luke,” she told him. He was startled to realize that there was pride shining in her eyes. “You chose to save a life. That is not failure.” 

His lips parted slightly in surprise, stunned that he had actually done the right thing. It had always been considered a poor choice by the soldiers and spies that he had known. This was one of his tactical weaknesses. 

“Really?” He whispered. 

“Yes, Luke,” she answered, her voice warm but adamant. “One of the greatest challenges of war is staying kind. You have suffered so much.” 

Though the Force, he could feel the immense sadness that accompanied that statement. However, he also sensed the overwhelming love that she felt for him, an everburning hearth. It felt stunningly familiar, even if it was infinitely stronger now. That love had followed him for as long as he could recall, a hand of protection that stayed with him so long that he hardly noticed anything out of place. His mother had always been there, even when he couldn’t see her. She had seen him through his greatest moments, as well as his most painful experiences. It had to break her heart. 

“You have a good heart, Luke,” she continued, looking at him with pride. “It is one of your greatest strengths, and I want you to remember that.” 

Luke closed his eyes, taking a shuddering breath. Nobody had ever told him anything like this. He was praised for his strategy, his leadership, his strength, but rarely for genuine kindness. It wasn’t valued in a war. But his mother saw that part of him, and she didn’t think it was his weakness. He hugged her, pressing his face to her hair. 

“Thank you, Mother,” he said quietly, his voice tight with gratitude. Holding her in his arms felt so much like holding Leia. He couldn’t wait to tell her about this. “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” she said, turning her face to the side kissing his cheek. When they pulled away from the hug, she smiled up at him with pride and grief mixed on her face. She looked to the trunk of the tree beside them, where an opening had appeared. She sighed quietly, taking his hands and squeezing them gently. “It’s time for you to go.” 

It was the hardest thing that he had ever done, walking away and leaving his mother behind, but the Force tugged him away. Even a brief meeting with her was enough to keep him happy for a long time. And her loving smile, barely touched with regret, gave him the strength to release her hands and walk through the doorway. She would always be with him anyways. 

When he walked through the doorway, he found himself somewhere new. While it was easy to recognize the forest of Kashyyyk and the Alderaanian palace, this was something new. The dusty heat of the air felt like the desert, even inside the small living quarters. The building appeared to be made of hard-packed sand, with a simple kitchen and a few doorways, presumably leading to other rooms. 

Luke looked around, frowning. Despite the domestic calm of the living quarters, he had an uneasy feeling. None of the tests had been perfectly easy so far, so what was happening next? His eyes settled on the three doorways that stretched the apartment from the kitchen. Perhaps he had to choose. 

After a moment of hesitation, he settled on the center doorway, hesitantly stepping through to the next room. The first thing that caught his eye was a small workbench, with tools and myriad trinkets scattered across it. 

The next thing he noticed was a young man, sitting on a bed far too small for him. He had tousled brown hair and a strong jaw, features that seemed oddly familiar. Despite clearly being athletic and strong, he was slightly hunched over, as if trying to make his tall frame seem smaller. He could barely seem to meet Luke’s eyes. Crystal blue eyes, identical to his own. 

For a moment, he didn’t recognize the man. After all, he had only caught a brief glimpse of his face on Endor. All the other times that they had met, this face was hidden behind an opaque mask, whose breathing haunted the prince’s entire life. Something about the presence was all too familiar, cold and horrific.

The knowledge came crashing down on him all at once, a heart stopping horror that seemed to physically kick him in the chest. He staggered back, instinctively trying to move for the door, but found that the opening had changed to a solid wall of sand behind him. His back hit it, and the feeling of being trapped seemed to wrap around his ribs, crushing the remaining air from his lungs. 

The man– Darth Vader– shot to his feet. There was so little room in the tiny space; he was already all too close. He took a half-step towards the prince, holding out a mechanical hand as if trying to comfort him. His painfully familiar face was filled with worry. 

“Luke?” He asked gently, stepping forward. Luke flinched, pressing against the wall as hard as he could. “Luke, take a breath–” 

“ _ Stay away from me. _ ” The words were uncharacteristically venomous, filled with a bitter fear. 

The man stopped, aching regret in his eyes. It was clear that he longed to get closer to his son, to help him, but the best thing he could do was stay away from the boy he longed to embrace. 

It took a long moment for Luke to get his breathing under control. Shaking seemed to begin in the center of his chest and ripple throughout his entire body, his hands trembling violently. He had gotten better at managing his panicked responses to Vader’s presence, but being trapped in a room with him again was all too familiar. The worst memories of his life involved being trapped with him. 

He forced himself to straighten, fighting the nausea in his stomach. Why did the Force want him to face Vader again? Hadn’t he done that enough? During these tests, he had faced his guilt over the deaths of his people and his own self loathing for his soft heart, now what? If he was supposed to be facing his own panic over Vader’s presence, he was failing miserably. 

Perhaps this was the darkness within himself. As much as he hated it, this was his father. Bail Organa may have been the man who loved and raised him, but Luke’s genetics came from this man. Half of him came from a monster. How nauseating.

He looked at his father for a long moment, a bird of panic still fluttering in his chest. He kept it under control, taking slow breaths through his nose. To his credit, Anakin Skywalker looked ashamed and uncertain, giving Luke plenty of space. He occasionally glanced at his son, his eyes dark with discomfort, but would turn away quickly. 

“What should I call you?” Luke abruptly said, bitterness tinging his words. He wasn’t about to call him Dad, that was reserved for the man who raised him and taught him to be kind. “Skywalker, Vader?” 

The man flinched at the latter suggestion. 

“Anakin is fine,” he said quietly, waving a hand. Grief tugged at his gaze as he looked down at Luke. “I suppose I haven’t earned the title of Father.” 

Luke scoffed. Usually, he would be kinder, but this was Darth Vader. This was the man who haunted his nightmares, who could single handedly turn him from a strong General into a terrified mess. This man deserved none of his softness. 

“No, you haven’t,” he said shortly. “Not to me.” 

Anakin— it was still strange to think of that as his name— nodded, self-loathing passing over his expression. He retreated to the bed once more, slowly sinking down onto it. It gave Luke some space, so he could make the decision to approach his father or not. He remained by the door, years of caution not allowing him to let his guard down around this man. 

“I know it won’t fix anything, but I’m sorry,” Anakin finally said, sounding like he actually meant it. “What I did to you…”

“Twice,” Luke supplied. 

Anakin nodded, looking like he was going to throw up. Luke was surprised that they seemed to share that feeling, but a part of him could understand. The only two times that he had been alone with his son, and he had tortured him for both. It was awful. 

“It’s unforgivable,” he continued, meeting Luke’s eyes. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, and I won’t ask. But I want you to know that I regret it.”

Luke pressed his lips together, a rare burst of anger exploding in his chest. He was usually quite calm, and was far better about keeping his emotions in check than his sister, but there were limits to everything. Vader was the person who could always bring out his more powerful emotions. 

“Regret it?” He repeated, stepping forward. “When exactly did you start regretting it,  _ Anakin _ ? When you blew up my home? Or when you cut off my sister’s hand? I know what happened on the Death Star, I know you nearly let her die before you decided to save her. Regretting what happened doesn’t fix it! You destroyed billions of lives before you saved one. That’s not redemption, that’s one decent choice.” 

“It wasn’t enough, I know,” Anakin replied quietly. “By that point, the best thing for me to do was die.” 

“Oh shut up,” Luke snapped. It was childish, but he didn’t regret it. “It was the best thing for you. You got to become…” He gestured vaguely to his form, clearly a Jedi again within the Force. “Whatever this is. You avoided standing trial for everything you did.” 

“It wouldn’t have changed anything that I had already done,” he pointed out. 

“You think I don’t know that?” Luke shot back, crossing his arms. “Finding out that you turned to the light hasn’t stopped my nightmares. Knowing that you’re dead doesn’t stop me panicking every time someone touches me when I’m not expecting it.” 

He cut himself off before he could say anything more, his throat growing tight. He leaned against the dirt wall, pressing a hand to his burning eyes. He needed a moment to compose himself before he could try to speak again. 

Luke wondered again why the Force wanted him to speak to his father. Of all the parents to see, this was the one that he had hated meeting each time. If the Force was trying to warn him off the dark side, it was too late. If he was to fall to darkness, it would have happened when he lost his home planet. His adoptive parents had taught him nearly everything that he had ever needed to know. They were the ones who made him who he was, not this man. 

“Why are you here?” Luke said after a moment, dropping his hand and looking at Anakin. A bone deep weariness glimmered in his eyes like tears. 

Anakin had been silent, through all of Luke’s accusations, knowing that they were true. His eyes rose at Luke’s question, unhappiness and longing mixed in his expression. 

“You’re my son,” he said, weaving his hands together in front of him. “I wanted to see you, apologize… see if there was any way you could forgive me.” 

Luke opened his mouth to snap that he would never forgive him, but somehow, the words didn’t come. The idea of never forgiving someone was something he could hardly imagine, even with someone as vile as Vader. He could never fully forgive him, not with everything that he had done, but there was still a child inside him, someone who wanted to understand the man before him. 

“Then tell me why,” he said softly, his curiosity drawing him another step forward. He hesitantly sat on a stool by the workplace, still a safe distance from Anakin, but no longer pressed against the wall. “Why you turned, why you ended up like this. I’ve heard stories of Anakin Skywalker. He– you, you were a hero.” 

There was the briefest flash of cold from Anakin, familiar enough to make Luke flinch violently. The memories of being in an interrogation room with Vader washed over him, but faded as soon as the cold did. As he watched him, there seemed to be a conscious effort in his demeanor, forcibly relaxing his hands and closing his eyes, as if guiding the darkness from himself. 

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s… a long story.”

“Is there a short version?” He didn’t want to be in this all-too-small of a room with Anakin for longer than necessary. 

Anakin sighed. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned towards the workbench, picking up a few of the scraps and fiddling with them as he spoke. He was able to use them to build small trinkets before quickly dissembling them into something else. The constant movement reminded Luke of his sister, always restless. 

“I was afraid that your mother was going to die,” he said quietly. “I made bad choices trying to protect her, and I lost sight of what was important. When she died, I just lost myself in anger. I was willing to kill anyone who got in my way.” 

Luke studied his expression, probing lightly at his feelings through the Force. The memories of his emotions flickered through. His anxiety and near panic at the thought of his wife dying were all consuming. It felt surprisingly familiar to Luke’s more panicked moments. That didn’t bode well.

“When did that change?” He asked. 

“When I found out that I had a child,” Anakin answered immediately. A touch of a smile crossed his face, perhaps at the memory of realizing that one of his children had survived. “I thought I could give her what I couldn’t give my wife. I wanted to overthrow the Emperor, give her the galaxy."

Luke frowned. How had Vader’s alleged devotion to his child changed to him cutting off Leia’s hand? 

“So why did you hurt her?” He asked, the words leaning closer to a demand than a question. Seeing Leia sobbing, thoroughly beaten and missing a hand, had broken his heart. She was the strongest person that he had ever known, and Vader had nearly destroyed her that night. 

“When you’re lost in anger, you’re capable of anything, Luke,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s what makes it so easy to lose yourself to the dark side.” He paused with fiddling with the scraps, a soft look of affection on his face. “But you’ve never been like that. You’re just like your mother, in that way.”

Luke arched an eyebrow, though a small part of him was touched by the quiet praise. 

“I was just yelling at you for everything you’ve done to me,” he reminded him. 

Anakin shrugged in response. “It was nothing you hadn’t earned.” 

The smallest touch of a smile tugged at Luke’s lips. It was so strange, seeing his former enemy like this. Without the anger and cold that seemed to define so much of who Vader had been, he almost seemed… warm. It helped that his little mannerisms reminded Luke of his sister, and that he completely understood the all-encompassing fear that twisted your choices. 

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive you,” he said eventually, looking at him steadily. Anakin nodded understandingly, just a touch of sadness in his eyes. He set aside the scraps. Luke stood, taking another hesitant step towards him, crossing the halfway point of the small room. “But I don’t think I can hate you.” 

Having a better picture of Anakin’s life, seeing that he understood his mistakes, and knowing that he fully regretted them, softened Luke slightly. It didn’t make up for what he had done, but Luke didn’t hate him. He had for a long time, but it was something that Jedi weren’t supposed to have. Letting go of his hatred was an important step, even if forgiveness wasn’t yet in the cards. 

When Anakin smiled, any resemblance to Vader completely disappeared. It was a smile that was broad and full of life, a genuine happiness that only a few people had been able to see. When Luke offered him his hand, even though he was stretching from as far a distance as possible, Anakin gently reached forward to take it. 

As soon as their hands touched, the sand wall that had replaced the open doorway vanished, opening to a dark emptiness. Whatever they had been supposed to do, they had done it. 

They carefully shook once. Luke released his hand immediately after, and Anakin relaxed his hand, respecting his boundaries. 

“Thank you, Luke,” he said quietly, inclining his head to his son with warmth in his eyes. “I’ll leave you in peace for as long as necessary, but if you ever call for me, I will be there.” 

Luke stepped back, offering his father a small smile. He couldn’t be sure if he would actually take him up on that offer, but he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about him popping up out of the blue. 

“I appreciate that,” he said, turning and moving towards the doorway. Just before he stepped through, he glanced back, nodding to his father one last time. “Thank you, Anakin.” 

With that, he stepped through the doorway. He slowly left the Force behind, settling back into his body. He drew in a sharp breath as he did, opening his eyes. His body ached with stiffness, making him wonder how long he had been in a trance. Leia stepped into his field of vision, a serious expression on her face. 

“Luke Organa, Jedi Knight,” she said, igniting her lightsaber. “Have you passed your trials?” 

He pushed himself to his knees, resisting the urge to wince at the stiffness of his joints. He nodded solemnly. “I have.” 

In a flash of violet, she whipped her lightsaber down to hover over each shoulder in turn. For a beat, she held it just over his head, then retracted it. 

“Luke Organa, I name you a Master of the new Jedi Order,” she said, the seriousness of her expression cracking with a smile. “Rise.” 

From that moment on, they led the Jedi Order together, training a new generation of Jedi. They began with only a few students. The most talented among the children was the son of a Mandalorian, a young creature of the same species as Master Yoda named Grogu. He and his father seemed to be a package pair, so they also found someone to protect the Temple and search for more Force-sensitive younglings alongside Han and Chewie. 

Before the school became too busy, however, their little family stole away from the business of the galaxy for a brief time. Han and Luke had a small, private wedding ceremony in Sola Naberrie’s garden, with several of their closest friends. Because he was no longer solo, he became Han Organa. It was incredibly sweet, and the exact getaway that they all needed to recover from the stress of rebuilding a government. 

Mon Montha served as the Chancellor of the Republic for the first eight years after the fall of the Empire. She helped build the government to its former glory, creating a strong foundation for the New Republic to continue serving for many years. With her greatest goal finally satisfied, she stepped down at the end of her second term. 

Luke had considered stepping into the role of being Chancellor, but ultimately chose to be the head of the Service Committee within the Senate, where he could focus on offering assistance to all those who needed it throughout the galaxy. It felt like a fitting position for a Jedi Master. 

Besides, the newly elected Chancellor Calrissian was a natural leader. He could charm and play politics with the best of them, and organized the committees into agreement without overstepping his powers in the least. Luke was proud to assist Lando during his time as the Chancellor, and was relieved that so many people that he trusted were in power. The New Republic was in good hands. 

While Luke was balancing his work in the Senate and the Jedi school, Han was balancing seeking out new Force-sensitive children and working as a General in the Republic’s military. He served alongside many of their friends from the Rebellion, including Wedge Antilles and Shara Bey. 

During that time, a young Poe Dameron decided that Luke and Han were his favorite people in the world. He snuck onto the  _ Falcon  _ several times to learn how to fly it. Chewie taught him right away, immediately taking to the little hotshot. Han came around more slowly, but was eventually giving the young boy lessons in piloting. He already had natural skill and early training with his mother, so he became an expert quickly. Poe also spent a significant amount of time in the Jedi Temple, happily pestering the ever-patient Luke with questions about his leadership during the war, talking to him with endless hero worship. Luke was unsure how to deal with this, but he liked the boy well enough to let him hang around. As he grew older, he visited less often, but they talked over holo at least once a week. 

Teaching turned out to be one of Luke’s greatest joys. He could teach the most restless younglings to meditate, could answer countless questions without growing visibly frustrated and could make even the shyest children open up. He was full of care and affection. Leia had her own skills, however. She could make excellent swordsmen out of all their students, and they adored her for her ferocity and passion, especially when it came to defending her students. 

Leia founded the school for the new Jedi Order, but simply teaching didn’t suit her. She was a warrior; there were constant conflicts that required a fighter or occasionally aggressive negotiations, both of which Leia excelled at. It was rumored that slave traders would free their prisoners upon hearing that she was coming. She and Mara ensured that the First Order died in infancy. Leia Skywalker was justice, not mercy. 

As their classes grew more full, teaching became Luke’s passion. Politics was a skill, but children were a gift. He loved answering all their questions, he loved talking about the Force, he loved being a father figure that they could go to for anything. They trusted him enough to let him send a robot to shoot at them while they were blindfolded. That trust was more precious to him than any position as a senator, and he soon resigned from the Senate to become the lead teacher of the crèche. 

Han, although he denied it every chance he got, doted on those kids. He wandered the halls, the cool parent to Luke’s gentle one. Every youngling grew up with a minimum of five parents; their own, which they visited often, the stern mother Leia Skywalker, the gentle dad Luke Organa, and the fun parent Han Solo. Luke would console his students through hardships, Han would take them on a joyride to help get their minds off it, and Leia would yell at them both after crashing into something. Chewbacca was also a favorite among the children, who adored his ability to lift them high in the air. All the kids giggled whenever Han interrupted a meditation session to give Luke a quick peck on the lips before walking right back out. 

Between Han and Din, their classes soon filled with dozens of Force-sensitive students from across the galaxy, and their school flourished. Even Mara Jade returned to help teach, though like Leia, she excelled more at missions. They helped train the next generation of Jedi. There were a few notable Padawans who stood out as their future leaders. 

Leia had rescued a group of four-year old children from the budding First Order, who were very nearly pressed into becoming stormtroopers. They returned as many children as possible, and found safe places for the ones that did not have homes to return to. One of these children turned out to be Force-sensitive, and wanted to stay in the Temple with the people who rescued him. He began going by the name Finn Skywalker. 

Luke had only taught Finn for a short time before it became clear that he was born to be a Jedi. He had a natural talent for accessing the Force. He could meditate longer and more deeply than every other youngling. Even without being able to see, he could sense where the practice droids were about to fire at him. Admittedly, getting the lightsaber in a place to stop it was a little more difficult, but he practiced often. It was obvious that he absolutely loved everything involved with being a Jedi. 

Finn was in the crèche for almost a year when Han brought in a little girl named Rey. She was a little bit younger than him, a little less sure about her choice to join the Jedi. She was from a young couple on Jakku, generations and generations of scavengers. She would be the first in her family to train with the Force. They didn’t have a family name, so just as Leia gave her last name to Finn, she dubbed the young girl to be Rey Whitesun, after her Aunt Beru. 

Rey sat with Han during breakfast, sticking close to the one person she knew. Finn thought she looked lonely, and wanted to see if he could help her feel a little more comfortable. The Jedi Masters were wonderful, but everyone needed friends their own age. 

“Finn, you know the school very well by this point,” Luke told him, speaking quietly so none of the other students could hear. There was a touch of a smile on his face, since he knew that Finn’s natural leadership and kindness would make him an excellent friend for their new initiate. “Perhaps you should show Rey around.”

The suggestion was all the encouragement that Finn needed. When he introduced himself and held out a hand, Rey smiled and took it. 

They soon discovered that they were very different people. Finn was extremely organized, and kept all his things in the younglings’ living area carefully arranged near his bunk. Rey tended to throw things wherever, but somehow always found them no matter what wild places she had put them. During training, Finn excelled at calm meditation while Rey tended to fidget and lose focus. However, the first time she picked up a lightsaber, she blew everyone away with her natural skills. 

But despite their many differences, or perhaps because of them, Rey and Finn become the closest of friends. They trained together, played together, ate together. The younglings shared a big bunk space, so in the evenings they would often sit on the beds together late into the night, discussing the Force. Finn used those nights to help Rey learn to reach into the Force and stay calm while she mediated. In the mornings, they would get up early so Rey could help Finn practice with the lightsaber. Luke and Leia observed this and shared a sad smile, knowing that they would have been exactly the same if they had been given the privilege to be raised as siblings. 

A few years after Rey’s arrival at the Temple, Lando discovered that his daughter Jannah, was Force-sensitive. She was bright and eager to learn, and tagged along beside Rey and Finn as they grew up. 

By the time they were eleven and twelve, Rey and Finn were inseparable. Best friends, and powerful Jedi beyond their years. Together they had become a force to be reckoned with. It blew the others away. 

Sadly, they knew that they couldn’t be Padawans together once a Master chose to train them. They would have to separate to train with their respective masters, and not each other as often. Luke and Leia took care of that. 

Leia took one look at the ferocious, powerful child from the desert and felt a kindred spirit. The girl did had anger deep down inside of her, one that was happily negated by Finn’s overwhelming love. It still showed in her lightsaber form. She struck with a fire that was usually unsuitable for a Jedi, but Leia liked it. A little passion was necessary. 

She and Rey trained together after the end of a class, sparring together in the studio after had been emptied. Rey’s blue lightsaber moved with amazing speed, but Leia had experience on her. She disarmed Rey after a long bout, using the Force to grab her lightsaber in her free hand. Rey scrambled back to her feet, seeing Leia smiling proudly. 

“You have a lot of anger in you, Rey,” she said, stepping forward and weighing Rey’s lightsaber in her hand. “You control it well, and your friends have helped you along the way. With training, I think you’ll become an amazing Jedi, one of the best. It won’t be an easy journey, but I can promise you won’t go through it alone.” 

She offered Leia’s lightsaber back to her, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. Rey didn’t hesitate. Beaming up at Leia, she took the lightsaber, and their apprenticeship began. 

Luke took Finn to a small garden on the roof of the Temple. They meditated for most of the day, as only the two of them could. It was a common sight to see Luke floating above the gardens, meditating peacefully, but Finn joined him often. When the sun touched the horizon, they both slowly floated to the ground, and Luke turned to Finn. 

“What do you believe your greatest skill is, Finn?” He asked looking down at the boy with an unreadable expression on his face. 

Finn blinked up at him, surprised by the question. Most mediation sessions were complete, peaceful silence, beginning to end. He was unprepared to answer for a moment, but found that the most obvious choice was right in front of him. 

“My connection to the Force,” he answered after a moment, but the words sounded confident. Finn has always found himself ahead of the game when it came to Force related skills in the Jedi temple. It came naturally to him, and what didn’t come naturally was earned by long hours of mediation. 

Luke shook his head. “I disagree.”

Finn looked wounded for a moment, his mouth dropped open and hurt in his eyes as he looked at the Master. Did Luke think that he wasn’t connected enough to the Force to be his padawan? They had loved training and working together, and he thought that it meant they would be able to work together often when he became a padawan, perhaps even as a knight. 

“You know I fought in the war,” he told him. Finn nodded, albeit still confused by the abrupt change in subject. “I always had difficulty with organizing battles, because I hated the idea of deciding how many people we could lose in order to find success, even though I know that it’s a choice we all make as leaders. I used to think that I was weak because I had a soft heart.” 

He took a deep breath, his eyes closing. Memories of the defeat of the Empire were hard for him, an aching weight that he couldn’t seem to put down. He kept his smile around the younger children, but as they grew older, they better understood everything that their masters had gone through in order to bring peace back to the galaxy.

Luke opened his eyes, looking at Finn with a warmth and fondness that heavily contrasted the grief that had been there a moment ago. He had known the boy was special from the moment he arrived, which was all but completely confirmed when Finn’s lightsaber turned out to be a rare silver-white color. 

“I’ve learned that a soft heart is a strength, Finn. A Jedi needs to have a kind heart so they can help people. You have always had the biggest heart in the Temple. You help the other students when they need it, and you even made Rey come out of her shell when she first arrived. You are going to be a good Jedi because you have skills that can’t be taught. That is why I want you as my Padawan.” 

Finn’s eyes went wide, a beaming grin lighting up on his face. Master Skywalker wanted him as a Padawan? He hadn’t taken one in years, and now he wanted Finn? The idea was thrilling. He had earned it, not just through hard work, but by being himself. He bowed his head, trying to be respectful even with the wide grin still on his face. 

“I am honored to be your Padawan, Master Organa.” 

With the twins as their masters, Rey and Finn were able to continue training together. When Jannah came of age, Mara took her as her apprentice. She wielded a green lightsaber, and learned from Mara’s experience to nearly match Rey and Finn’s skills in a short time. As they became older and more experienced, the three of them began going on missions alone, handling problems without the help of their masters. 

On one of these missions, they worked with the Black Squadron of the New Republic. Finn met Poe, the lead Commander of the squadron, and immediately fell in love. Rey, on the other hand, met his second in command Jessika Pava and became equally head over heels. Meanwhile, Jannah spent some time protecting the outspoken Senator Rose Tico and became close to her as well. 

The young Padawans grew into Jedi Knights in their own right. The Black Squadron helped protect the New Republic from any potential enemies. Rey slowly began taking over Leia’s missions bringing justice to the galaxy. Finn took over more and more duties of leadership in the Temple. Jannah acted as their official liaison to the Senate, where Rose Tico was named as Chancellor. 

Luke, Leia, and Han were proud of their surrogate children as they became leaders and heroes. They stepped back from the bigger missions, instead taking on smaller leadership roles. They lived long, peaceful lives together and left the New Republic in the hands of their proteges. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the finale of my Twin Swap series! I can't believe I actually finished it. Thank you to all my wonderful readers who have kept with this story for so long. You guys really helped this keep going. It’s been really fun to be able to complete my first full length fanfic!!! It’s been super long but super fun! 
> 
> It’s actually been a bit of a personal journey for me too. When I first started this, I was in a pretty bad place. I was really struggling with my anxiety and I felt ridiculously weak because of it. I projected all of that fear and struggles with feeling pathetic onto Luke, and all the anger and desire to be badass onto Leia. I think that the process of writing their adventures and healing also helped me with my own struggles. I’m in a much better place now, and I think that writing this fic has helped me get there. Thank you all for coming along on that journey. 
> 
> Awww, look at me get serious. Anyways, I appreciate all of your love for the fic! Please add more comments because they make me smile!! I reread them all the time and I’m always hoping for more. I hope that this fic has made you happy and offered you a bit of fun! Always feel free to come over on Tumblr on @princelukeorgana to chat with me or find a few more pieces of my work! Happy reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I am so very sorry to all Madine and Obi-Wan fans. I wanted Luke to have some kind of opposition on the council, and Madine was there, so he is slightly more of an asshole than in canon. I'm sorry if anyone was hoping for a chat between Leia and Obi-Wan, but personally, I think the man deserves some rest. As Star Wars canonically treats their female characters like shit, I wanted to pay homage to them and the underappreciated woman who began it all. 
> 
> We will pick up Han's rescue in the next chapter, and then I'll move into more canon scenes. I just wanted some good trauma acknowledgement and character growth before we jumped into that. Thank you for reading!


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